Bound Paths
by Xylenia948
Summary: A twist on Hunter x Hunter's main storyline. Featuring: a snarky girl who aims to become part of the Phantom Troupe, a swindler running away from the circus she came from, a deceptive babysitter from a faraway land, and a skeptical blacksmith's apprentice. How will these four fare in the Hunters Exam? *Being rewritten under new title "Bound Paths: Remastered"*
1. Departure x From x Whale Island

It was a relatively nice day. The sun shone bright, the wind rustled the nearby flora, and the distant chirping of birds echoed throughout the forest. Of course, there was always something that ruined a wonderful day like this.

Quino was minding her own business when she encountered the obstacle of the day. She was currently on Whale Island. After failing in her daily search for her adoptive parent, she decided to take in the breathtaking sight of Whale Island. The island was completely different to the city she grew up in.

The first place she ventured to was the shops. She ate fish, hit the blacksmith's shop, and breathed in the fresh air she had never known existed. There was not even a hint of pollution, which was unlike any area she's ever been in. Eventually she ended up in some part of the local forest looking for some adventure.

When she made the big mistake of getting near to a snake she had never seen before, she didn't notice how huge it was. Upon later reflection, she realized that not paying attention to that rather important detail was her first mistake. Her second mistake was getting closer to the thing as it watched her every move. The third mistake happened to be her panic when she realized how big it was, and that the snake could potentially eat her.

When it sensed her fear, it immediately acted upon it. It striked, Quino barely dodged, and a chase scene between a terrified girl and a bloodthirsty snake ensued. In a later situation under different circumstances, Quino would much rather take on this snake than the _other_ snake. Right now, however, she was trying to run from _this_ problem.

The snake, for all his ferocity, turned out not to be the sharpest tool in the shed. When Quino decided to climb a tree, both hadn't realized that the snake could easily reach up the tree and snatch her. Instead the snake sensed its defeat and slithered away. Quino sighed in relief and beamed at what she thought was a genius idea. In reality, she lived out of pure dumb luck.

She decided to book it out of the dangerous forest, which ended up with her running all the way to the port. She reasoned with herself that there was no reason to stay at the island if her adoptive mother wasn't there.

With that in mind, she scanned the ships docked at the port. There was this huge one docked, and it didn't look fancy, so Quino assumed she could hop on it and let it take her to wherever it was going. If they noticed she got on with no charge, she could always play the 'helpless orphan' card. There were only a few times where that didn't work.

She did take notice, however, that she was running low on money and may soon be unable to afford even these basic ships. A grumble threatened to spill from her lips upon the realization, but she contained it. Grumbling and complaining won't get her any closer to her adoptive mother.

Quino climbed on and noticed something: the ship was filled with tough, mean-looking guys. She wasn't one to judge a book by its cover, but she can tell that something suspicious was going on. She pondered on what to do.

I could go ask someone here, but most of these guys don't seem like the type to help. The next best thing is to go inside and try to find the captain of the ship. But if this ship holds a lot of thugs and mercenaries, you could easily jump to the conclusion that the captain of the ship is probably just as threatening and– oh no.

Quino started to panic internally. She could at least make it seem like she felt confident in herself. Over the months of ship hopping, she had grown accustomed to pretending to look confident in the face of adversaries. Still, this situation was a lot more threatening than anything she's encountered so far.

She silently, and a little stiffly, went to the side of the ship and sat down. Usually in a matter of seconds she'd feel bored, but this atmosphere around her was terribly tense and she felt more alert than ever.

She felt some eyes on her, but she tried her best to ignore the stares. If she pretended they weren't looking at her, maybe they'll just look away.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and go to her happy place, she heard a boy yell something along the lines of "I'm going to become the best Hunter in the world!".

Quino opened her eyes to stare at the boy. He was probably around her age, with spiky black hair that looked like it had a tint of green to it. He wore a green jacket and a yellow backpack with tan shorts. The bizarre thing on his back made Quino curious where he got it. It was white, long and slender, with a red ball thing on the tip. The ball seemed to be attached to the white stick, for lack of a better term, by a string.

What the heck is that thing? I've never seen anything like it. What is it for?

"Once I'm the best Hunter in the world, I'll come back!"

Quino could tell that he was probably naive. Not to mention all of the tough men on this ship were eyeing him with mocking amusement.

They really should pick on someone their own size instead of little kids!

Still, as much as she wanted to reach out to the boy and say hi, she felt that she would draw attention to herself as well. Attention that she _definitely_ didn't want.

The men around her snickered and chuckled, and she had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.

Man, these guys need to grow up and stop being bullies.

She didn't really care about what they had to say. In fact, she tuned out the entire one-sided conversation that took place between the men and that boy. Quino didn't really want to get involved with the naive boy.

She felt kind of bad to say this, but 'every man for himself' has always been her motto. Well, it's the thing that had kept her safe and out of trouble ever since her adoptive mother vanished on her.

Quino watched as the boy walked away from the men.

Good, at least they'll leave him alone.

Just as she was about to snooze, because she hadn't gotten decent sleep in two days, the birds above her started to act up.

Stupid seagulls. Why can't they ruin someone else's parade? I'm feeling cranky here.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy up in the crow's nest.

What's he doing up there?

Curious, Quino got up from her spot in a lethargic manner and stalked toward the bow of the ship.

"It's a huge storm that's coming!"

Quino rose an eyebrow at the boy's statement.

That would make sense. The seagulls _are_ acting up, and I've met my fair share of birds acting up, specifically those kind. They're acting erratic; they're moving in no pattern, which means that they sense something coming, and it's not good.

"I can tell by the smell!"

What?

Quino's eyes widened in shock.

Well, I've never heard that one before. Could it even be possible? Meh, he's just a boy. He's probably pretending, and just so happened to be lucky that there actually _is_ a huge storm coming.

Low and behold, Quino could see dark clouds rolling in toward the ship she was on in the distance.

It wasn't long before all of them were escorted to a room. Quino took up residence in one of the corners of the room. She was next to a guy in a business suit, reading something that only perverts would look at.

She looked back at the only other kid in the group, and debated in her head.

Should I go and say hi? It's the polite thing to do, and technically it would be nice to hang out with someone around my age.

On second thought, all the men are still a little smug with him. They're not saying anything, but their eyes say it all. And if I get close to him, then I'll probably draw more attention to myself.

What to do, what to do..?

Quino glanced around the room, then trained her eyes on the boy. She got up slowly from her position, and crossed her arms.

I don't know, this might not be a good idea. 'Every man for himself', remember? But he might know where we're headed.

Quino decided right then and there that she was going to go to the boy, say hi, and ask him where they all were headed.

Perfect, Quino thought with a nod.

Quino strolled right up to him and said, "Hi."

The boy's ears perked up and he looked at Quino.

"Hi! I'm Gon!"

Quino wasn't sure if she wanted to chuckle or roll her eyes at the boy's enthusiasm.

Well, I'll admit that it's nice to see someone radiant on this ship.

"Hi Gon, I'm Quino. Um, do you know where we're headed?" Quino asked.

The boy, Gon, looked confused. "We're going to the Hunter's Exam!"

Hunter's Exam? Where have I heard that– oh no. I can't possibly be going there, right? Not there! This is bad.

"Ah, um, I don't want to go there, actually," Quino said. She was currently shocked, and feeling just a little faint.

"Really? We should find the captain and ask him to drop you off somewhere," Gon said, looking even more confused.

I don't think we're stopping any time soon with this storm approaching.

"I think I'll stay on the ship. We'll eventually reach the place, and I'm sure it's in a city, right?"

"I think so," Gon said. He looked like he was thinking too hard to solve this problem.

"It's okay, Gon. I'll figure it out myself," Quino said with a dismissive wave.

"Are you sure?" Gon asked.

Quino had to admit: Gon was really cute. But naive. Probably the type to get taken advantage of easily.

"Positive. Well, I think I'm going to nap. I'll see you soon, probably," Quino said, muttering the last part to herself.

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, Quino!"

With that said and done, Quino went back to the spot she was at earlier and sat down. Though she was in an awkward position, with her head resting on the edge of a box and her back hunching in a way that will definitely make her back ache when she woke up, she managed to go to sleep. She was so tired, that she hadn't even realized that she slept throughout most of the storm and the chaos that came with it.


	2. One x More x Member

"Quino."

She felt her lips move, something close to a groan spilling out of them.

"Quino, wake up," a voice said above her, accompanied with a very unwelcome shake.

"Mmm?" Quino murmured, cracking her eyes open to see who was waking her up.

It was Gon, and he was smiling at her. Any other time she'd grab her hammer masterfully hid on the side of her hip attached to her utility belt, which looked like any normal belt. Upon seeing Gon, though, she didn't feel that familiar panic.

Feeling delirious, Quino looked around at her surroundings slowly and realized that most of the men on the ship were either pale, had a tint of green to their face, or passed out on the floor. Though number one and two had paired with number three with some of the men.

Karma, Quino thought.

"Come on, Quino. The captain called us," Gon said, shaking Quino's shoulder a little.

She felt her back ache and she realized that she had let herself fall asleep in a very uncomfortable position. Getting up ever so slowly, she could hear her back crack loudly, and it hurt a lot. Her neck also felt really stiff. Quino didn't feel like a happy camper in the least.

"Okay, I'm up. Let's go," Quino muttered. At first, Quino wasn't sure if Gon had heard her. However, that doubt was destroyed the moment Gon grabbed Quino's wrist and dragged her to the captain's room. She felt her body tense, though that was a mistake because she felt her back scream the second she did so. She willed herself to relax, reassuring herself that it was just Gon, but then that brought up another question: How is that any different from anybody else?

If Quino was honest with herself, she would be thankful for the fact that Gon was dragging her to the place they needed to be at. She doubted she could even make it that far on her own two feet considering how tired and beat her body felt.

Quino heard a door shut and she looked around to see that she was in the a room. The captain's room.

She scanned her surroundings lazily, taking note of 'key' details.

There's the captain, that pervert with a business suit on, and a blond guy with an interesting blue robe on. Or is he a she? And what is she or he wearing? Right… Anyway, next to the captain was a guy who looked too scrawny to be a crew member. Then again, who am I to judge the captain's judgement?

The scrawny guy was carrying something. Quino squinted at the object.

Is that a clipboard? Yeah. Yeah, that's a clipboard. Wow, my eyes are really struggling with seeing things right now, Quino thought with a yawn.

"First, tell me your names," the captain asked.

No harm in sharing information like that. I'm not famous, and I'm certainly not someone you'd recognize by name.

"I'm Gon!"

Ah, silly Gon, Quino thought sleepily. Always full of energy.

Quino introduced herself, though it was more of a mutter than clear speech and she doubted the captain had heard her.

"I'm Kurapika," the blond stated.

Mmm, I think it's a guy. That voice sounds masculine, Quino thought with the nonchalance only a

"It's Leorio."

He sounds standoffish, Quino thought. Hey, his name kind of rhymes with Oreo. Ooh, that sounds good right now.

"And you, girl?"

See? The captain didn't hear me.

"Quino. Name's Quino," she said drowsily. Quino even added a loud yawn that she tried to cover afterwards.

"Why do you want to become Hunters?"

"Hey! If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!" Leorio said, refusing to tell the captain about rather personal goals.

I kind of understand where he's coming from. But what if he is and you just failed the 'secret test'.

"Just answer the question!" the captain yelled back.

Well, things are getting heated, Quino thought as she glanced between Leorio and the captain.

"My dad is a Hunter. I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad desired so much to be a Hunter." Quino recognized that voice as Gon's.

Oh, that's a simple reason. Then again, Gon's a simpleton. Not saying he's dumb, he just prefers things simple. Wait, I haven't even known the kid for long. I'm going off an assumption, aren't I?

"Hey, kid! You're not supposed to answer his question!" Leorio admonished, and Quino was starting to get suspicion on how adamant the guy was.

Why not? Is it sensitive information? Is there something I don't know? Oh, maybe this guy has a deep, dark secret he wants to keep hidden. Those are the type of guys you stay away from. Nothing but bad luck. Been there, done that.

"I agree with Leorio," Kurapika stated, fueling Quino's suspicions.

Oh, great. Blonde agrees with Oreo. Ah, let me restate that. Kurapika agrees with Leorio. Which means he also has a deep, dark secret he wants to keep. Which means I better drag Gon away from these unhealthy people before they start infecting him.

"It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie. However, it is quite shameful to rely upon deceit. That said, if I were to tell you the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer," Kurapika said, ignoring the white noise in the background.

Oh wait, that's not white noise. That's Leorio. He gets ignored a lot, doesn't he? That's kind of sad. Kurapika is really good at speeches, though. Maybe I should take notes from him. I could learn something, Quino thought dreamily. She imagined herself being mayor of the city she was from, making incredibly articulate and well-crafted speeches left and right to awe the imaginary audience.

"In other words, you refuse to answer my question. Hey, Katsuo. Tell the examination board that we have two more dropouts," the captain said offhandedly, turning toward the scrawny sailor next to him.

Quino watched as both Leorio and Kurapika became surprised, as if they hadn't thought the captain had any authority over whether they could go to the Hunter Exam site.

"You still haven't figured it out? The Hunter Examination has already begun," the captain said, a grin on his face.

"Wha–"

"What!" Quino practically screamed out, the word practically ripped out of her. Her face changed into a look of horror, the sleepiness she had felt no longer providing the drowsy serenity that had engulfed her.

No! Why! All I wanted to do was find my adoptive mother! That wayward mother of mine is the cause of all my problems, I swear!

All of the males in the room looked at the girl. They either looked surprised or confused. Either way, Quino wanted to hop onto a boat that would immediately set sail directly to her irresponsible adoptive parent.

"...There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky," the captain started, looking away from the embarrassed girl, "the examiners don't have the time or resources to review them all. So they hire people like us to trim the fat. I've already notified the board that everyone else on this ship had to withdraw..."

Could I pretend I'm not feeling well? Maybe I could– wait! Withdraw! That's it! I could just say I'll withdraw!

"...If they couldn't handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Examination's later stages. In other words, you only proceed to the main exam if I pass you," the captain stated.

'In other words', as the captain would say, we'd better answer or we'll have to withdraw, Quino thought, trying to figure out how to say she'll withdraw. Should I just say 'I want to withdraw'? That's sound too–

"I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan. Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I wish to become a Hunter and hunt down that band, the Phantom Troupe."

The Phantom Troupe? That's– isn't that kind of suicidal?

"The Phantom Troupe is a Class-A bounty. Not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them. You'd be throwing away your life," the captain told Kurapika.

Yeah, I've heard enough stories about them to know better than to ever attempt at going at them. I doubt I'll ever face off against any of them in my lifetime.

"So, in other words, you want revenge. Does that require that you become a Hunter?" Leorio asked, looking confused. Quino had the urge to roll her eyes, but didn't. She was above such childish mannerisms. At least, that's what she tells herself.

"That may be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio," Kurapika said, closing his eyes. Quino couldn't tell if his eyes were closed because he was frustrated or that was a part of his reprimanding.

Those are fighting words, Kurapika, Quino thought as she glanced between an aggravated Leorio and an incredulous Kurapika.

Tensions were rising in the room, and Quino knew it would only take a few choice words to make Leorio blow up gauging by the look on his face. Unfortunately, Kurapika has proven that crafting words together was one of his specialties.

"Places accessible only to Hunters… Information otherwise unobtainable… Actions otherwise impossible… There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle."

Before Leorio could go berserk, Gon intervened. "Why do you want to become a Hunter, Leorio?"

"Me? I'll make it short. I want money. Money can get you everything! A big house! A nice car! Good liquor!"

"You can't buy class with money, Leorio," Kurapika interrupted, setting Leorio off once again.

Ouch, that was definitely a third degree burn. I'm just going to tune out the rest of this conversation and the probable fight to come, Quino thought, closing her eyes a bit. Even with the wake-up call of the ongoing Hunter Exam, I still feel tired.

Of course, she was still paying attention, but most of what they were saying went in one ear and out the other.

"Mito once told me that 'if you want to get to know someone, you need to make an effort to learn why they're angry.' It's important for them to understand why they're mad. So we should let them settle it themselves," said someone. It sounded like Gon.

Sound advice. This 'Mito' is a wise lady. At least, I'm assuming Mito is a she. It sounds like a girl's name.

"Captain, look!"

Quino opened her eyes and saw a waterspout.

That's not good at all. The ship will probably sink if we get caught in that.

"I'll help!" Gon said in a rush.

Before Quino could say anything, Gon was already gone with the scrawny sailor. The captain dismissed the sailor at the helm, taking control over it himself.

I think I'm going to check outside. It's probably freezing cold, and safer in here, but I want to check on Gon and make sure he isn't doing something too reckless.

Quino felt unsteady on her feet. When she got outside, she wondered how much time had passed for her to see the mess that was going on. The ship was rocking back and forth violently, Leorio and Kurapika were about to start their fight, the crew was pulling at a bunch of ropes, and Gon was looking worriedly at the scrawny sailor who was clutching the end of the rope he was holding like a lifeline as he flew about in the storm.

She watched as the scrawny sailor's hold on the rope slipped and he flew off the ship. Leorio and Kurapika rushed over to reach him, but Quino could tell that they wouldn't make it to him. Then out of nowhere, she sees Gon jumping off the ship after the scrawny sailor.

Gon! That idiot! Quino thought in exasperation. She rushed over there, and was relieved to see that Leorio and Kurapika had caught Gon's ankles.

She watched as they pulled all four of them back onto the ship. For the first time in a long time, Quino felt useless.

In a fit of rage, Quino yanked Gon's arm and dragged him away from the scene.

When she felt that they were far enough away, Quino released her tight grip on Gon's arm and whipped her body to face him. She knew that she looked _really_ angry right now, but she honestly didn't care if she blew up right in that instance. Her body quaked as the anger coursed through her entire body.

"You idiot! Why would you jump off the ship like that? I get you were playing hero and all, but did you have to scare the living daylights out of me?"

To any onlookers, they would see a little girl scolding a little boy like she was his mother. To Gon, he was being reprimanded for saving someone. To Quino, she was so frustrated today and she almost lost the only person she had grown attached to ever since her adoptive mother left.

In short, everybody was on a different page.

"I was saving someone."

"I know that! But you had to end up being saved yourself!"

"Someone was falling off the ship! I had to go and help them back on."

"Gon, what would have happened if those guys weren't there? What would have happened if those guys were so focused on their stupid petty fight that they didn't even notice you jumping off the ship!"

"I knew they would grab me."

"You can't be so trusting!" Quino said, trying her best to reign in her anger before she blew up.

"Why not? They did grab me. I don't know why you're upset about it. Everything's fine." Gon looked confused. Quino couldn't imagine the boy's train of thought.

With a sigh, Quino said, "Just be more careful. I'm upset because you scared me. I thought you were going to die."

Gon beamed at Quino's admission. She sighed again, but she couldn't help the small smile forming on her lips at the sight of Gon's beaming smile.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to die. I still have to find my dad first!"

Quino laughed a little at Gon's statement.

Gon's something else, Quino mused. She shook her head at the boy's logic.

"All right. As long as you promise."

Gon held out his hand, his fingers curled except for his pinky. "Pinky promise."

Quino interlocked their pinkies. What she didn't expect was her hand being shook violently by Gon, and for Gon to teach her how to do 'pinky promises'. She was sure that pinky promises didn't have anything to do with a kiss, but she just accepted it as something that he learned to do.

"Okay, let's go back," Quino said. This time, Gon dragged Quino back. She wondered if taking turns dragging the other around would become a routine between them. Quino smiled at the thought.

When they got back, Leorio and Kurapika looked angry.

"You idiot!" Leorio yelled. "If we hadn't grabbed your legs, you'd be shark bait now."

"Honestly, how reckless can you be?" Kurapika said.

"But you did catch me," Gon responded.

Boy, this sounds a lot like deja vu, Quino thought with a hint of amusement.

"Gon! Thanks, Gon! You saved my life," the scrawny sailor said, running to them from their right. Quino's shoulders stiffened, and she groaned quietly when she felt her back scream at her.

He came out of nowhere, Quino thought as she tried to calm herself down from the jumpscare. Of course I got startled. Perfectly reasonable to get startled by something like that.

When Quino focused on her surroundings again, she saw that Kurapika and Leorio had apologized and made up.

Gon was practically beaming.

Then the scariest thing erupted out of nowhere. In the future, Quino would look back to this moment and find it silly that she even thought of it as scary.

Quino looked at the captain, glad that he was done with that laugh of his. She was certain that sound was the stuff of nightmares.

"I like you guys! Okay! I'll take responsibility for bringing you four to the port closest to the exam site," the captain said.

"What about your test?"

The captain stopped in his tracks when Gon asked his question.

Uh-oh. I hoped I could get scotch-free out of crafting a lie of some sort. I mean, I kind of don't want to go, but I don't feel like leaving Gon with these guys. I don't trust them enough to just leave Gon with them. Even though I just met him… yeah, I'll admit that's a bit strange.

"Like I said, it's my decision to make, and all four of you pass!"

Oh, thank you! I don't have to make something up, Quino thought. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

What she didn't realize, however, was that this journey that she had unknowingly joined wasn't going to be easy, and it certainly wasn't going to end any time soon.


	3. Questions x And x Answers

"So this is the place?" The woman muttered to herself, looking around to assess the situation at the port. It was a bit crowded, but the woman knew the numbers would probably dwindle down exponentially when she arrives at the actual Hunter Exam. For now, though, she was busy being entertained by the sheer number of people who were stupid enough to go on the supposed bus to Zaban City. A cynical grin split across her face, the thought of their distraught faces when they realize they weren't getting anywhere after an hour. She wanted to laugh at them and their naivety.

It'll be too late when they realize it's a trap, she mused as she got up to walk around. Kuriya had given me the tip, but where do I go from here? If only I had enough money, then I could've just gotten the information to the Exam Site. The information she wanted from me to trade for the site's location was too... personal. No worries though, I'll figure it out.

During her walk, her eyes caught a group of four headed toward the west. Which was in the complete opposite direction. Call her crazy, but she thought they were on to something. Something like a direct ticket to the Hunter Exam? The woman didn't know, but she might as well trust her gut. She had nothing else to trust.

As she started to follow them, she realized a key detail that she somehow didn't spot before. Half of the group consisted of young children.

Children? Maybe they're completely lost. Tourists? Who knows, but it looks like they're actually going to the Hunter Exam. Even so, why are children going to take the Hunter Exam? That's ridiculous, she thought. Children shouldn't be doing reckless things like this.

It was no secret that the woman held a soft spot for young children...

While she followed them, she spotted a man eyeing them. At first she didn't think much of it, until she saw the wicked intent hiding in those dark depths of his. She narrowed her eyes at the discovery.

No one should mess with children, the woman thought as she gritted her teeth. Though I'll admit that's kind of hypocritical of me considering how amoral I am, but that excludes children. The frequent babysitting I used to do made the insufferable brats cute. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. No matter how you look at it, though, I have a soft spot for children now. A weakness, in other words.

The woman decided that she had yet another reason to follow the group of four. When it came down to it, she was sure she'd instinctually make her presence known and scare off the man if he acted on his ill will. Otherwise, she'll remain hidden.

Some time had passed and the group had ended up in a deserted town. Though the woman had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't as deserted as it looked.

Sure enough, an old lady had decided to appear right after the woman's assumption. There were even lackeys surrounding her, some staying completely silent while others gibbered nonsense. The woman wondered if the old lady was secretly a conjurer.

"You are headed for that tree on the hill, correct?" The old lady asked.

The spying woman could barely hear the old lady, but she didn't want to get any closer lest she be spotted.

"To reach that tree, you must pass through this town. I shall administer a single question quiz," the old lady stated.

A single question quiz? That sounds too good to be true. Question is, what's the drawback?

"H-hold on! What's going on here?" someone in the group yelled.

It was the one with the business suit on, who looked like he was the eldest among the group. The woman had wondered for a time, while she tailed them, why he was wearing something like that when it was bound to get dirty or ruined. She eyed the man, who looked like he was in his early twenties, and watched the emotions running across his face. The sight of it filled her with mirth. She noticed how expressive he was, and she couldn't help but grin at the ridiculous 'show'.

You could practically see fumes coming off of him, the woman thought.

"You'll have five seconds to state your answer. Give the wrong answer, and you're disqualified. You'll have to give up on taking this year's Hunter Exam," the old lady explained.

And you only get one shot, huh? Very risky stuff here. Especially if you aren't the best at taking quizzes or tests, the woman thought with a scowl. Of course I have to run into this. _When_ is life going to throw be a bone?

"So this is part of the Hunter Exam," the only girl in the group said, though the woman didn't know whether that was a question or a statement.

"I see how it is. I happen to be a quiz expert," the guy in the business suit said. He practically glowed with pride.

The woman spying on them clamped her hand over her mouth to suppress the bark of laughter that threatened to bubble out. He's either trying to look cool or is totally telling the truth, which would be absolutely nerdy.

"Wait. Only one question?" The guy in the business suit suddenly looked surprised as if he had just realized that the quiz was only one question.

Wait, did he somehow miss that? Or did he forget? Ah, who cares. Either way, he's really expressive with his emotions. That could seriously backfire on him in the near future if he doesn't reign those expressions down a notch.

"Your answer will be either number 1 or 2. Any other answer will be considered incorrect," the old lady stated.

"Hold on. All three of us share one question? So if one of them answers incorrectly, I'm disqualified, too?" Leorio asked, and the woman noted how he looked worried over his chances.

"As if that would happen! What scares me is the high likelihood of the vice versa happening," the teenaged boy(?) said.

"What was that?"

Ah, and now they're having a little couple's spat. Haha, now _that's_ funny.

"This way's easier, since only one of us needs to know the answer. I'm not good at quizzes," the young boy in the group admitted.

"Yeah, see? This actually increases our chances of getting it right," the only girl in the group pitched in.

Oh man, that little boy and girl is adorable, the woman thought.

"Hey, there. Hurry it up. Or else I'll answer the question first," said the man that had been following the group like she had. He stalked up to the group, looking smug.

Too smug in my opinion. I should just drop kick the idiot to the Dark Continent. He'd have a field day, the woman thought with a devilish grin.

"He followed us here, all the way from the port," the boy explained to his group members. Though only the guy in the business suit and the girl seemed caught off guard.

Sharp kid. I hope he doesn't know about me, the woman thought apprehensively.

"Here is your question…"

This snapped the woman out of her rumination and she noticed the man who had followed the group of four was going first.

"Evil villains have captured your mother and lover. You can only save one. Select 1 for your mother, or 2 for your lover. Which will you save?"

This test… is interesting. How would you answer that?

"The answer is 1."

Wow, he said that right away. He's not really taking this quiz seriously, is he? But I could see the logic in his decision.

"You may pass," the old lady said. She stepped out of the way, allowing the confident man to go ahead.

"How was that the right answer?" The guy in the business suit practically yelled.

There's logic in it. But even so, I don't think there is a right answer. If I were in that man's shoes, though, I probably would've said number 1 too. I've never known her. I've also never had a lover so I guess that earlier point didn't matter.

"I won't put up with this sham," the guy in the business suit stated.

Uh-oh. He's getting irritated. He needs a clear head to deal with this type of quiz. But did the old lady say that the man was correct? Sure, she stepped out of the way to let him pass, but she never mentioned that he was 'correct'.

"Different people would expect different answers! There is no right answer!"

Oh my, this guy is a genius without even knowing it! There's no right answer. You can only say number one or two, otherwise you'll get disqualified. But neither number two or one is right either. So, don't say anything? Silence?

"Not another word from you. Say anything but the answer, and you're immediately disqualified," the old lady said in a rush.

Huh? I missed something, didn't I? It probably wasn't that important. Either way, maybe I could give a hint if I revealed myself? They probably wouldn't like me. Then again, what do I have to lose? We could go our separate ways, right? So, in the end, it doesn't really matter.

"Wait!" The woman shouted as she shot up from the bush she was hiding in. This grabbed everyone's attention. Without a second thought, the woman ran over to the group of four and faced the old woman. "May I join them in their test? I mean no harm. You won't even know I'm here. I'll just stand here and remain silent."

The old lady narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. The woman knew that the old lady had recognized that last bit as a hint. After a few seconds passed, the old lady said, "If it pleases you."

"Wait, hold on! Who are you and why are you budging in on our test?"

The woman looked at the guy wearing the business suit. Then she looked at the others in the group. All of them, sans the little boy, distrusted her. She could tell by the way they were looking at her. Right then and there, she knew the only way she was going to let down their guard was to put on her babysitter persona. It's the most pleasant mask she had.

Well, here goes nothing, the woman thought as she figuratively grabbed hold of the persona she didn't think she'd need so quickly after leaving her homeland.

With a sweet smile on her face, she said, "Well, you see, I've actually been trailing that man that had just taken the test because I worried over what he may do to you children. I'm sorry." The woman brought down her 'joy' to an 'apologetic' expression. "I just thought I could come with you guys."

Upon putting up her persona, the guy in the business suit relaxed. She noted that the girl and the teenaged boy(?) didn't seem convinced.

"I'm sorry if I intruded. I just didn't want to be left alone. Silence makes me nervous," she added. She sensed the old lady glaring at her, though she paid it no mind. The teenaged boy(?) noticeably relaxed but still looked like he was somewhat suspicious, and the girl looked like she wasn't impressed at all.

I think she just doesn't like me. Oh well, can't have them all, the woman thought as she twirled her shoulder-length hair and acted nervous.

"Sure you can join us miss–"

"Huh?" It took the woman a second to realize what the little boy had asked, and then another second to come up with a name that wasn't her own, "Oh, Pristle. And who are you?" the woman, now known as Pristle, asked. She had the little boy and the guy in the business suit wrapped around her finger, but the teenaged boy(?) and the girl seemed like they weren't under her spell just yet.

That's okay. Nobody is liked by everybody. It's only a matter of time until they let their guard down and allow me to worm my way into their hearts. I can give anybody whatever behavior they want from me. That's why people like me. I can change into any type of person, and people eat it all up. Out of all those masks, though, there is a 'me'. But hardly anyone likes 'me'.

"I'm Gon!"

Pristle smiled bigger at the sight of Gon's beaming face. "Ah, Gon, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Leorio," the guy in the business suit said with a friendly wave.

Pristle nodded, with a smile still plastered on her face, and said, "Leorio, it's a pleasure to meet you, too."

"My name's Kurapika," said the teenaged boy(?).

"Pristle determined that Kurapika was a male. "Ah, hello, Kurapika. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance as well."

"Quino."

Pristle regarded the girl that glared at her with interest. "Hello, Quino. You have such an interesting name."

"Thanks?" The girl said, not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.

"Are you ready to take this test?" All of the group's attention fell on the old lady, who seemed rather impatient. "Your son and daughter have been kidnapped. You can only rescue one. Select 1 for your son, or 2 for your daughter. Which will you rescue?"

I'll stay silent for the whole duration, Pristle thought as she stared at the old lady.

"Five."

Pristle saw Leorio grab a plank of wood out of the corner of her eye.

"Four."

I hope he's not going to beat the old lady with that plank of wood. We'd be instantly disqualified.

"Three."

This silence is uncomfortable. Quino is simply staring at Gon's face. Gon's thinking really hard. Kurapika can feel the animosity coming from Leorio based on the glances he's giving Leorio out of his peripheral. And Leorio is swinging that plank of wood down again and again.

"Two."

Trust me, Kurapika, I want to take that plank of wood away from him too.

"One."

"After a second of uncomfortable silence that felt like it lasted forever, the old lady said, "Buzz. Time's up."

That's when Leorio decided to strike. I wanted to rush and stop him before he got us disqualified, but I didn't want to reveal anything about my skills yet. Or ever, really.

Instead, Kurapika saved the day and Pristle was okay with that.

"We gave the right answer. Silence was the correct response," Kurapika stated, eyeing Leorio for any more attempts at charging the old lady.

"Silence? What do you mean…" Leorio said, trailing off with a confused look.

Yes, please explain it to him, Pristle thought.

"This quiz had no right answer. However, we could only state 1 or 2 as the answer. In other words, we weren't meant to respond at all. Silence was the only response," Kurapika explained.

"But what about the other guy?"

"She never said that he got the correct answer. She just said, 'you may pass'," Quino said, ripping her eyes away from Gon's intense stare with the ground.

"Which means that the man who went down that path didn't go down the correct one," Pristle said, smiling sweetly.

"Precisely," said the old lady. She got up from her seat and stalked to the door to the left. "The correct path is over here. This leads directly to the tree. Walk two hours, and you'll reach the top."

Pristle tuned out the old lady in favor of looking at the two children next to each other in concern. The boy was still deep in thought, as if he wasn't aware that the test was over. Pristle glanced at the girl who simply stared at Gon.

When she heard a gasp, her attention went back to the boy. She saw he was on the ground, and the first thought that crossed her mind is if he was hurt.

"It's no use. I can't think of an answer," Gon said.

"You were still trying to find an answer? You can stop," Leorio said.

"Huh? Why?"

"We passed the quiz, Gon," Quino said absentmindedly.

"I know. But…" Gon trailed off, a serious expression marring his boyish face.

But what?

"But you know… what if I run into a situation like that and I can only save one person…"

You're probably the cutest kid I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, Pristle thought with a huge smile.

"What should I do then? It wouldn't be right to choose just one… but one day, I might have to make that choice," Gon added.

That's true. I still don't think kids should think about all this morality stuff this early in life, though, Pristle thought.


	4. Alone x With x Thoughts

"You said your name was Pristle, right?"

The woman looked at the blond boy, Kurapika, with slight confusion.

Did he forget my name? That's the likeliest possibility. But that doesn't seem right. My gut tells me that that's not why he's asking. Me and my stupid gut; I bet it just jinxed me.

"Yes. Why?" Pristle asked, successfully keeping her apprehension from seeping into her words. She glanced at the others ahead of her, wondering if they could hear the conversation taking place behind them.

Hopefully they weren't, Pristle hoped.

"You hesitated when you introduced yourself. Is there any reason for that?" Kurapika asked. She mentally cursed at the knowing look in his eyes. Pristle knew then that he suspected she lied about her name. That look in his eyes told her that he would tell them of his suspicions if she didn't explain.

Of course he suspects me. I should've remembered that he wasn't completely sold on my act in the first place. Darn it! If only I was as good as Father in keeping up an act. I've no doubt he could've pulled this off! He probably would've commented on how it was like taking candy from a baby. Though, coming from a babysitter's point of view, that's actually easier said than done. Children are _very_ adamant on keeping candy to themselves.

Pristle was all the more aware of the echoes of their feet, specifically the sudden halt of them. They echoed until they became nonexistent. She could pretend, but she doubted she could pull it off. If anything, they would get even more suspicious. The only way to steer their suspicions away is to nip it in the bud. But not without twisting her reasons as to _why_ she didn't introduce herself with her real name.

"I, well– yeah, I did hesitate. I have to confess to something," Pristle said, catching everyone's attention. "I may have lied about my name." Is this what people on death row feel like as their deaths creep closer to them? "My name isn't Pristle."

"What? You've got to be kidding me! Why did you lie? That's suspicious!" Leorio all but shouted.

Why is it when he says it it just sounds funny? Weird, the woman wondered.

"Definitely suspicious. I say we kick her off the team when we have a chance," Quino chipped in.

It took all of the woman's willpower not to glare at the little brat. You would like that, wouldn't you? I'm really starting to not like you. Even if you're a kid, there's only so much sass I can handle…

"Why did you lie to us?" Gon asked, the perfect picture of innocent curiosity.

Gah, he's too cute. I can't stop myself. I'm going to spill the beans simply because of Gon's cuteness. What have I become? This isn't me at all! Ah, but I'm not 'me' currently. I'm 'the babysitter'. Father, I'm sorry for becoming such a disappointment.

"You see, my name is actually Primna. I'm hiding from my dad. He's a hunter, so I know if I use my birth name he'll find me. I'm sorry for lying. I just panicked," Primna said with a quiet voice. Since they were in a tunnel, however, everybody heard her loud and clear.

There you go, Primna. Act sad. Act scared. Drop a sprinkle of hesitancy. You got to act or they'll suspect you. Most of that is true anyway.

"Oh. Is your dad mean to you?" Gon asked. The woman, before she knew it, had thoughts of the days when he'd either snap at her, beat her, or outright ignore her.

Is that mean? I guess that technically is. It's fine though. Every time he hurt me, he always said he was sorry later.

 **You're a nuisance.**

Nothing is normal in our relationship. We're both strange people.

"Well, yes, but it's not like he can help it," the woman stated, even though in the back of her mind the memories of when he'd restrain himself when other children angered him repeated over and over again.

"He can't help it?" Kurapika asked. By the tone of his voice, he seemed to be both curious and suspicious.

"Um, he has his issues. He only knows how to love by being mean," Primna said, not wanting to give away too much. She set her gaze on the ground in the hopes of making a somber scene.

 **I'll be going now. Bye.**

Thankfully that was all the questions they had asked. Primna noticed that even Quino had softened up a bit.

Sap. Well, if I'd known that giving them a partially true sob story would make them all like me, or at least give me a chance to wrap them around my finger, then I would've done that a lot sooner.

The rest of the way was silent, save for the group's echoed footsteps.

Despite the silence, however, Primna's mind hung onto a memory that she had made a long time ago.

 _"Someone once told me that hemotropic butterflies are really pretty," a little girl said to no one in particular. "I caught one today. They really are pretty."_

 _She looked down at the butterfly in her hand, watched as it flapped its wings in its attempts to struggle. Though the child didn't know it was trying to escape. She wanted to keep it forever with her._

 _"Then I thought 'how can I keep it?' I had a great idea then," she said, walking toward the table in the dining room. It was a small house, but her father didn't care about the size. He hardly ever stayed anymore to notice how small it was. She studied the tools laid out on the table, her eyes raking over the tools with a spark of madness._

 _"You know, I think we have something in common," the girl said to the butterfly. "We both like blood. Isn't that nice, that we have something in common? We can talk about it all day long. That sounds nice."_

 _She grabbed the nails laid out on the table, then spread the butterfly's wings. It struggled still, and the girl grew frustrated at the butterfly's movements._

 _"Stay still. You'll mess this up if you keep moving like that."_

 _The butterfly struggled still, sensing its imminent demise._

 _"Okay. Here we go," the girl warned, a cheerful smile on her face. She shoved the nail poised above the butterfly's wing, causing the nail to dig into the wing. The butterfly struggled even more, and the girl pushed down on the butterfly's body with a crushing weight._

 _"Stay still. Don't you want to stay?"_

 _She grabbed a small hammer, and hammered the butterfly onto the canvas. Blood started to seep out of the butterfly, but the girl paid it no mind._

 _Nail by nail drove into the butterfly, until it was still and perfectly pinned onto the canvas. The girl looked at the butterfly, a smile beaming on her face. She scowled when she saw the blood splattered on the canvas though._

 _"I made a mess. See, this is what happens when you move so much. But that's okay. Now you'll stay with me forever and ever," the girl said. She went over to the cabinet with bath and hand towels shoved into it, and pulled out a small hand towel. She went back to the still butterfly, cleaned up the blood as best as she could, and hung up the canvas in her room._

 _Every night since then, she would talk to it and say goodbye right before going to bed. Until it had decayed._

Primna frowned at the memory. No one noticed.

* * *

Hey everybody!

I just wanted to thank all of you for viewing my story so far. And to apologize if that last part was a bit... much.

I realized that I didn't have as much content this time around, so I figured, "Hey, why don't I add a bit on the mind of a young Primna?" Thus it was born.

But, again, sorry if it was a bit graphic for you. I'm _very_ desensitized when it comes to writing gore and death, so I can write and read rather disturbing scenes without being affected too much by it.

Is that part considered M-rated, by the way? I don't think it was too graphic, but horror hardly bothers or disturbs me, so I wouldn't know the difference between T-rated and M-rated horror.


	5. To x the x Exam

"Magical beasts. Huh, those exist?" Quino asked as she scanned the sign that warned of magical beast sightings.

They had managed to get out of the tunnel that seemed to stretch on forever. Primna wasn't the best with time, but she knew that the trek through that tunnel was _not_ two hours.

Despite her facade, Primna didn't bother to filter her thoughts. There's a sign there. If magical beasts didn't exist, then there wouldn't be a sign for it unless some maniac decides to mess with people's heads.

"Yes, they do, so be careful," Kurapika stated.

"Are we ever gonna make it to the exam site? I'm hungry! I need to take a dump!" Leorio complained, starting to lag behind the group.

"Leorio! If you don't hurry up we'll just leave you behind," Quino yelled back to Leorio with a mischievous grin.

"Ah, Leorio, I can't help you with the second thing, but I did bring a few rolls of bread for when I got hungry," Primna suggested, smiling sweetly at him. Leorio felt himself blush. Primna took out the sandwich bag from one of her many pockets on her cargo pants.

"Oh, um, isn't that for you? I don't want–"

"No, no, I could always get something for myself later," Primna said, handing the packed bread rolls to Leorio.

"Well, thanks," Leorio responded sheepishly. He bit into one and Primna could've sworn it looked like he was in heaven. "Where did you get this?" he asked after he swallowed the piece of bread.

"I made them," Primna said with a giggle.

Leorio looked at her, and Primna suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"We should probably get going," Primna said, walking faster to get closer to the other three in the group.

What was with that look? Is it weird to think I made that? Sure, it's a bit girly, but it's good to know how to make your own stuff. Ya use less money that way. On another note, I shouldn't be too buddy-buddy with them just yet. That might be just as suspicious as being a cold fish. But dropping the act would be just as suspicious. Quite the predicament.

When Leorio and Primna caught up with the rest of the group, they were at the house. Leorio was the first to act. He knocked on the door, but no one answered.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Leorio asked. Still no answer.

"Are they out?" Gon asked, looking up at Leorio.

"One way to find out," Quino muttered.

Leorio grabbed the handle and turned it, opening the door. The house was a mess, and in the middle of all the chaos was a magical beast holding a woman in its arms. A injured man was on the ground, pleading with it to give his wife back.

A Kiriko?

"They're extremely intelligent creatures who can take on human form!" Kurapika warned.

"There's a woman in its arms!" Gon said, pointing at the Kiriko.

"And the guy on the floor needs medical attention…" Leorio observed.

Just before they got ready to attack, the Kiriko crashed through the window with the woman in its arms still.

"P-please! Please save my wife…" the man on the floor uttered, clutching his injured side.

"Leorio, we'll leave the injured man to you! Primna, you stay here with him!" Kurapika said, following after Gon and Quino.

"Got it!" Leorio called out to Kurapika's running form.

Hey! Whoever said I was– ah, right. I need to act. Erm, well, guess it's fine. Makes me wonder if these so-called navigators are pushovers though. Shouldn't they be able to handle themselves if they're involved in the Hunter Exam?

"Leorio, is there anything I can do to help?" Primna asked with a gentle smile. Though deep inside all she wanted to do was run out of the house and chase down the Kiriko. In Primna's mind, that idea was much for appealing than staying behind and helping someone.

"Oh, um, could you give me that tool for me?" Leorio said, pointing at something in his briefcase.

Primna went over to his briefcase and noticed the various medical equipment stored in it. A doctor, huh? Why would a doctor want to join the Hunter Exam?

"Is this it?" Primna picked up the tool he was pointing at, pushing her thoughts away.

"Yeah, could you hand that to me?"

Primna handed over the tool as he asked. She watched as Leorio went to work, a nagging feeling in the back of her head telling her that something didn't add up right with this whole situation. She switched her gaze toward the husband, studying him.

"Don't worry, we'll find your wife," Leorio calmly stated, attempting to soothe the man's worries.

Leorio's nice. Empathetic. Don't see that in men everyday, or if ever. But a trait like that would only get taken advantage of where I come from.

"Sir, can I ask you something?"

Leorio looked at Primna with a look that told her to not bother the husband.

"I just wanted to know something," Primna insisted with innocence, wanting to seem like she was acting based off of pure curiosity. Of course, that couldn't be further from the truth.

Leorio sighed and went back to work when the man said it was alright.

"How long have you been married?"

The husband stiffened just slightly, but then relaxed as quickly as it came, "Four years."

"Wow, that's nice. So does that wound hurt really bad?" Primna asked, though she knew the husband was hiding something with the way he acted toward Primna's simple question.

"Yeah, my side hurts," the man said, probably just as confused as Leorio.

"No, the one on your back, silly," Primna said, still smiling. Unlike Leorio, she had spotted the red blotch on the lower back of the man's shirt. Wouldn't he feel the wound that was there? She knew the supposed 'husband' was trying his best to not show his unease, but she could've sworn he was squirming.

"Do you know what attacked you?" Primna asked, pressing forward despite the man's tension.

"Primna, I don't think you–"

"No, it's alright," the 'husband' said to Leorio. "It was a Kiriko, right? They're magical beasts," he replied to Primna.

"Ah, so you know. You know that they can take a human form, right?" Primna asked, already concocting a theory inside her head on what wasn't adding up.

"Well, yeah," the 'husband' said. Primna could tell that he was definitely hiding something based on the way he responded with a tiny bit of uncertainty. He also answered as if he was feeling perfectly normal and not at all hurt, which made Primna narrow her eyes a little bit. Even so, she kept the sweet smile on her face and made sure her tone was one of innocence, kindness, and gentleness.

"Wow, you're handling the pain from your wound so well. It's almost like it's not even there. Or maybe–"

"Primna," Leorio warned, "why are you interrogating him? He just lost his wife and was attacked by a magical beast."

"Leorio. He's hiding something," Primna said hesitantly, making sure she sounded just a bit unsure. She was one hundred percent certain that this 'husband' wasn't who he seems to be. Honestly, she just wanted to tell Leorio straight, but she knew _her_ act might get discovered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Leorio asked, still convinced that she was being only being rude. She agreed that she might be a bit rude, but far less rude and blunt than what she would usually be.

"Who are you?" Primna asked, trying her best to not act in her usual blunt manner. "No, what are you?"

The 'husband' sighed, then smiled. "You got me."

"Huh?" Leorio asked under his breath.

"What was the first thing that tipped you off?" the man asked.

Primna tilted her head and closed her eyes. "Well, I had a gut feeling, I guess. Something just didn't seem right. So I asked how long you've been married, since I was curious. I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic. But I saw you stiffen just a little bit and I wasn't sure if that was because you were in pain or you felt uncomfortable about the topic for some reason. You recovered way too quickly to be in pain, though, so then I realized that something _was_ up."

"Intuition, huh? That's great intuition you have there," the 'husband' said. "Well, I think it's about time we go outside. Everybody except us is there."

The 'husband' got up and walked out the door, followed by a very confused Leorio and a deceptively sweet Primna.

Just as the 'husband' mentioned, Kurapika, Gon, and Quino were outside with two Kiriko and the 'wife'.

"Hmm… how many years has it been since someone was able to tell us apart?" one of the Kiriko asked.

Tell them apart? They sound a little different, but it's barely there.

"Can you tell their faces and voices are different?" Leorio asked Kurapika.

"No, not at all," Kurapika replied.

"Me neither," Quino piped up.

Their faces are different? They look exactly the same, Primna thought.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the navigators. Our family provides support for the Hunter Exam," one of the Kiriko said.

"I'm their daughter!" the supposed 'wife' said.

"I'm their son!" the supposed 'husband' said.

"Man, you had us fooled," Leorio said with a sheepish grin.

Speak for yourself, Leorio. But... I _di_ _d_ go off on an interrogation based on a gut feeling.. and well trained perception, Primna thought, deciding to take back her snarky 'suggestion'.

"The Hunter Exam changes site every year. It's quite difficult to locate it," one of the Kiriko said.

"So we navigators help by guiding the applicants to the site," the other Kiriko said.

"But we don't help every candidate," the daughter stated.

"We test applicants to see if they're qualified to take the exam," the son said.

I unintentionally passed a test? Wow, I think I earn a pat on the back. Not for well-earned merit. Certainly not that. More for my gut feeling and the amount of luck I have.

"Kurapika," the daughter started, "you successfully used the most vague hints to determine that we weren't spouses. The hint was these tattoos which, in this region, mark a woman as single for life. Kurapika demonstrated that he is very knowledgeable. Therefore, he passes."

"Leorio," the son started, "you never realized my true identity until Primna had told you. However, you dressed my injuries faster and more thoroughly than any doctor. Most importantly, you continued to reassure me that my wife was safe. Your kindness makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. Thus, you pass."

He passed? Great. Not to be negative, but he'd be the one less likely to pass.

"Primna," the son began again, "you successfully figured out my true identity through studying my body language. The questions you had asked were simple and straightforward, and yet you managed to back me in a corner to revealing my identity. Your observational skills, along with your exceptional perception, make you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. Therefore, she passes."

Hah, easy as pie, Primna thought triumphantly even though in the back of her mind she was reprimanding herself for even celebrating on a stroke of pure luck.

"Quino," one of the Kiriko began, "you were able to track me down through the dark forest with relative ease. You also decided to take the blow meant for your friend, which is mighty chivalrous of you. The way you sacrificed yourself, as well as your ability to keep up with not only us but with your friend as well, have proven your worth. You pass."

"Yes!" Quino said.

Primna noticed the claw mark on Quino's cheek along with the black eye on the other side of Quino's face.

She's reckless, Primna thought with narrowed eyes. This kid is gonna end up dead in a ditch at this rate. Children these days… Just as quickly as her eyes narrowed, her eyes went back to their usual position, Primna's disapproval left within the blink of an eye.

"And finally, Gon," the other Kiriko began, "your superhuman physical ability and powers of observation make you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. You pass."

"We did it guys!"

While the group celebrated their victory, Primna noticed the Kiriko, along with their son and daughter, talking amongst themselves in a quiet manner a few yards away from her group.

Approaching them ever so quietly, Primna asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"We're not sure how we're going to transport all of you," one of the Kiriko informed her.

Primna frowned.

Technically I have the resources to get there, but it might take longer, Primna thought as she studied the family's body language.

"How many of us do you think you can handle?" Primna asked. The others have yet to realize anything was wrong; Primna preferred it that way.

"Well, we might be able to take three of you. Maybe we could squeeze two of the children on one of us, but–"

"Take them then," Primna interrupted.

"What?"

Primna sighed.

Guess I'll have to contact _her_.

"Take the four of them. I'll find another way, don't worry," Primna said with a small smile.

"Are you sure?"

Primna nodded.

"You should probably tell them, then," the son said.

I should, shouldn't I? They'll probably not like it. Hopefully they won't be suspicious.

"Guys, I have some news," Primna called out to the four that were celebrating amongst themselves.

They all came, and Primna couldn't help but find it amusing how it looked like they were a group of children answering to their mother's call.

Maybe in another life, Primna thought wistfully. Dragging children into this world, in _my_ world, would be selfish. I doubt I could protect them from the danger I'm constantly in. Primna frowned at that last thought.

"Yeah, Primna?" Gon asked.

"It looks like only four of you can be transported," Primna said with a sweet smile, "so I'm going to go and find the Hunter Exam myself."

"How are you going to do that? The Hunter Exam isn't easy to find," Kurapika said.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be right behind you," Primna said, putting a finger to her mouth in an attempt to silence them.

"But–"

"Really, don't worry. I'll be there before you know it," Primna said dismissively. Before any of them could get another word in, Primna started walking away.

"We will now take you to the exam site," the Kiriko stated.

"Primna," Leorio said, not certain about leaving her behind. Begrudgingly, he grabbed onto a Kiriko's leg and felt himself lift up.

* * *

Hey, everybody!

I just wanted to inform all of you that I won't be posting a new chapter tomorrow. Actually, Saturdays will be the only day I won't update.

I know I mentioned this last chapter, but I really do appreciate all of you viewers for taking your time to read my story so far. I'm pretty thrilled to know people are viewing it. (I thought there wouldn't be too many people reading Hunter x Hunter fanfictions these days.)

Read to your heart's pleasure, review as much (or as little) as you like, and I hope you like my fanfic so far. See ya next chapter! :)

Ps: I feel I'm not good at titling anything... TT


	6. I x Spy x Treasure

_Growl_.

The girl grunted as she felt the pain in her stomach increase, the feeling making her instinctually clutch her stomach. She was in pain, but that's to be expected when you haven't eaten in two days.

"Man, I should've taken up that offer," the girl muttered as she dragged her feet among the cobblestone of Zaban City. She shoved one of her hands in her pocket and took out the rest of the change she had, evaluating how much food she could buy.

Enough for one more meal. It has to be cheap, though, the girl thought with a sigh.

She scanned her surroundings, trying to find a cheap place to eat. The girl huffed, exasperated on finding nothing.

You'd think they'd have restaurants all over Zaban City. But the one time I'm actually looking for a place to eat, I can't find– oh wait. What's that?

The girl grinned triumphantly upon spotting a little restaurant, though it looked more like a cafe. It looked like your average mom-and-pop cafe, and it was practically smushed by the large office building right next to it. The girl doubted she would have spotted it if she wasn't as hungry as she was.

That place looks cheap enough for me to eat there, she thought hopefully.

She entered into the little restaurant and noted that there weren't a lot of people inside.

Huh, must be a slow day for them, the girl thought as she walked toward the man who was cooking.

"Welcome!" he said as he whipped up something that looked like yolk.

"Hey, I'm wondering if you have a back room," the girl said, hoping against all hope that she could finally find somewhere that would accommodate her strange eating habit. She didn't know when it happened, but she had become very self-conscious about eating in front of other people in recent years.

"What will you have?"

Hmm, steak sounds real nice right now. I'm tired of salads and breadcrumbs. I need meat! Ooh, I know. Let me try my mad poetic skills that I picked up from Dad! Well, maybe not poetic skills. More like being overly dramatic. Yes! I have enough for the steak combo. Steak, so heavenly, it opens my eyes to the light and beauty– that's it!

"Um, the steak combo that opens my eyes to the light," the girl said with a huge grin.

This is gonna be yummy!

"For how many?"

"Oh, just me," the girl said, not taking note of the chef's unreadable gleam in his eyes.

"Hmm… how would you like it?"

How would I like it? He means like medium rare and stuff like that, right? Eh, well, I like my steaks grilled. But not _too_ much. So maybe under a low flame. Yeah, I'll just say I want it grilled over a low flame until it's cooked.

"Ah, grilled over a low flame until it's cooked," the girl said. She could already taste the heavenly steak in her mouth. Upon having that thought, she quickly skimmed her lips with her thumb, checking for any drool that may be escaping from her mouth.

"Got it. Let yourself into the back room," the chef replied, focusing back on cooking whatever delicious meal he was working on.

Oh, am I supposed to find the back room? I guess it's usually reserved for regulars, huh? Oh well.

The girl walked straight ahead. She eventually came to a door, and figured that it was the back room. Opening the door, she scanned the contents inside the room. When she found only a table and lone chair in the room, she knew she found the right place. She closed the door and sat on the one lone chair in the room. She whipped her head this way and that, taking in the room's simple yet stylish appearance.

I have this room all to myself. This is so awesome! I feel like I'm royalty or something! I can't wait 'till that steak gets here! Wait, the guy didn't even ask for money. Um, that's not good. Maybe this is one of those restaurants that you pay after? Yeah, that's got to be it. Well, now I just have to–

The girl felt the floor move, the room somehow going down.

Am I in an elevator? This is a new idea for a little cafe. I like it! Um, but won't I be too far away from my steak? I'm starting to wonder if this elevator thing is a good idea. Steaky, I'm waiting~

The movement stopped, making the girl jump up in fright.

Maybe my steak is down here, she thought.

One of the walls opened up, revealing an underground tunnel. It was dark, the main source of light being the light hanging over the table the girl was seated at.

Um, I think there's a mistake, the girl thought as her wide eyes searched out for any food. Man, my steak isn't here...

She got up and walked out of the room. The minute her whole body was out of the room, the wall closed up behind her. She faced the room and scanned all of the people in it. All eyes were on her.

It's really tense here. They look dangerous. I just wanted a steak!

"Hello. Please take a number."

The girl jumped, a scream caught in her throat. She looked at the weird green thing in a business suit and started to rethink her life decisions. Reaching for the badge, she took it with shaky hands. _261_.

"Be sure you wear this on your chest at all times. Be careful not to lose it." After saying this, the green thing walked away.

Securing the badge on her chest, she recognized the feeling overwhelming her as trepidation. All she wanted to do was crawl into a corner and cry. She had no idea where she was, and she had no idea why all these people were here.

No, get a hold of yourself! You'll be fine! You've been in deep and scary things before, so what's so different this time around?

The girl realized a second later why this was different than all the other times.

Kuriya isn't here. Right…

"I haven't seen you before," a voice called out from above.

The girl picked up her head, spotting a short man sitting on one of the pipelines.

"Um, hi. Can you tell me where I'm at?"

The short man rose an eyebrow. "You don't know you're at the Hunter Exam?"

"The Hunter Exam? Never heard of it," the girl said with a frown.

"N-never heard of it!? Well, my name's Tonpa," the man said.

"Hi, I'm Malli," the girl said with a grin. Unknowingly to her, Tonpa cringed at the sight of the grin.

"If you have any questions about the Hunter Exam, you can ask me. This would be my 35th time," Tonpa said, recovering from the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"35th? Wow, you must know a lot then," Malli said, very interested.

"You could say I'm a veteran," Tonpa said with an easygoing smile.

"Huh, well, okay. I might–"

Malli saw an eerily familiar red that made her stomach turn.

I hope that's not who I think it is. Otherwise my freedom has been _really_ short-lived.

"I might take you up on that offer later, Tonpa," Malli said, her eyes diverted elsewhere.

"Oh, before you go, a present to congratulate you on getting this far," Tonpa said, offering a can of soda.

Malli grabbed the drink from his hand and inspected it.

It doesn't have a label.

Malli swished the drink around, putting her ear close to it.

It sounds normal.

Malli opened it, and sniffed.

It smells normal.

While she didn't smell anything strange, she did have a suspicion once she peered into it. Even under the dim lighting, she could make out how it was clear for the most part, save for the little fogginess that she detected in the otherwise clear liquid.

Dipping her finger in it, she looked at it closely. She watched as the liquid slowly descended down her finger, inspecting the liquid in such a close manner that it would've seemed odd in any other situation. However, the reason why it wasn't odd was because the girl had confirmed her suspicions.

"I don't know what you're getting at, or what you think you'll achieve by doing this, but you tampered with this drink," the girl said with a frown.

"W-what? I didn't–"

"I don't really care what your excuse is," Malli said with boredom, dumping the contents of the drink on the tunnel's ground, "whatever you were just about to say was probably going to be a lie anyway. Bye," Malli said, more than a little peeved about the deception.

When she got far away enough, she scanned her surroundings. Specifically, people's pockets and bags.

Are there any expensive items people are carrying? Better yet, treasure? Ooh, I do like treasure! Malli could feel a little drool escaping her open mouth, but she quickly closed her mouth and wiped the drool with her hand.

Malli was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't see the piercing yellow eyes watching her from the distance, nor did she understand that she was now just caught red-handed.

"Ow, hey. Watch where you're going," a person to her right said.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to bump into–" The rest of Malli's words died in her mouth as she stared at the boy that was currently scowling at her.

He has white hair. It's so pretty. It's like snow. I wonder what it feels like…

"Are you listening?"

Malli blinked, then said, "Huh?"

"I said stop staring at me."

"Oh, heh, sorry. Again. By the way, I'm Malli. Who're you?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Because I want to know the name of the boy with snow white hair and piercing sky blue eyes.

"Well, I don't really know anybody here except for a fat guy who tried to poison me with his 'present'," Malli said, a frown marring her face as she thought back to the event.

The boy stared at Malli blankly for a bit, before he sighed.

"I'm Killua." Malli somehow didn't realize the uncertainty in his voice or the fact that he hesitated when introducing himself to get the hint that he wasn't certain about revealing his name.

"Is that hair natural?" Malli asked in the spur of the moment.

Killua blinked, looking at the girl in disbelief.

"Um, yeah. Why?"

"Oh, oh, is that a common trait to have in your family? Are those eyes in your family too?" Malli couldn't help herself. She _really_ wanted to know if there are other people with those same traits.

"Um, I'm the only one who inherited the white hair. And I'm the only one with the blue eyes too," Killua said, a look on his face that told just how he felt about the weird girl.

Malli gasped, a strange look in her eyes.

Oh my gosh. I hit the jackpot. Er, maybe not. As much as his looks are appealing, I'd have to figure out his person– wait! What am I doing! I don't even deal in human trafficking! Treasures, Malli, treasures. Objects. I swindle merchandise, and bargain for higher prices than what the item usually goes for.

Malli sighed, and Killua wondered why she had a defeated expression on her face.

Mmm, I wish he was some antique vase. A white one with very pretty light blue swirls covering the length. Heck, I'd probably be _heartbroken_ to even _sell_ it given how pretty it'd be. But that's business, and it's not like it could be safe with me. It'd break, eventually.

Malli sighed again, and Killua stared at her as if she was crazy.

"Ah, um, well, heh, I'd, um, that's to say–"

"What are you blabbering about?"

There's the flaw. _Rudeness_. Though, _I'm_ probably being really annoying right now. Do I _steal_ him? That's what I do to treasures. He's not an item, though. I've _never_ had the pleasure to see such pure coloring like this. I mean, he has white hair, light blue eyes, and pale skin. He's the definition of _pure_. But he's not an item. He's a _person_ Malli! Gah, I'm so confused right now. How do I go about this?

"I have better things to do than standing around here all day," Killua muttered, a sigh escaping his lips.

Oh no! I can't let the treasure– I mean, Killua! I can't let _Killua_ leave.

"Ah, um, I'm sorry. Don't leave!"

Eh, I just sounded a little _too_ desperate. He'll get suspicious if I keep this up.

Killua just looked annoyed.

Nevermind. He's just annoyed by how weird and clingy I'm being. Or maybe he's just being nice and he actually knows exactly what I'm thinking. Nah, there's no way he'd know _exactly_ what I'm thinking. I'm almost as unpredictable as Dad!

"It's just that I've never seen somebody with… that certain combination of coloring."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Killua asked, looking like he _definitely_ wanted to leave.

I'm probably a weirdo in his eyes. Wouldn't be the first time somebody looked at me like I'm a weirdo, though.

"The thing is, I've never seen somebody with white hair, eyes as light and blue as yours, and pale skin that pale," Malli said, biting her lip.

I better not say _any_ more. Otherwise I'd probably start blabbering about how he's like a piece of art waiting to be stolen or something as _weird_ as that. I give full blame to Dad. He's an absolutely _psychotic_ weirdo. Fortunately I still have all my screws intact. I think, Malli thought, lifting a finger to her chin.

"Oh, um, I guess I haven't seen anyone else like me, too," Killua said, though Malli could tell he was feeling a little uncomfortable.

See what you did? You made the tre– **Killua** uncomfortable.

"Don't worry. I think you're absolutely unique!" Malli said with a big grin.

"Yeah, well," Killua said, trailing off. He looked in another direction, and Malli felt herself drawn to look over there as well. However, she saw nothing.

Hmm, I wonder–

That's when she heard a scream.

"Oh, how peculiar…"

No.

Malli felt her face screw up in horror. She wanted to try to look calm and unaffected by hearing _his_ voice, but she didn't have the same talent Kuriya had. She just _wasn't_ Kuriya.

"His arms seem to have become flower petals."

This isn't happening, right?

"No smoke and mirrors here. Do take care."

He's here? He's here!

"When you bump into someone, you should really apologize."

Duly note– no! I'm not listening to him anymore! He's the reason why I was stuck in that stupid _circus_ in the first place. Training my butt.

"You okay?"

Malli ripped her eyes away from the man that looked like a clown and settled them on Killua.

"Yeah, why?"

"You're shaking," Killua stated. Malli brought up her hands and realized that they _were_ shaking. Of course, she probably looked terrified too, but he didn't mention that fact.

Calm down. He doesn't know yet, right? But for how long can I keep myself a secret from him? Eventually the numbers will dwindle, eventually I'll end up walking down a corridor he happens to be in, eventually we'll face off against each other. At least, I think so. Knowing him, it's bound to happen sooner than later.

"I'll be fine. Just a little shaken at the scene, I guess," Malli said, a small smile on her face.

Killua looked at her contemplatively.

"I'm going to go now–"

"Ah, can I come with?" Malli sounded a little too desperate, again, but this time she hoped she could play it off like it was because she was scared. She was definitely scared, but more so because of some _one_ rather than some _thing_.

Killua glanced back at her and said, "Fine," after a minute.

This is good. I'll be near him, until he doesn't want me around anymore. That's fine, though. I can still watch over him even if he walks away. _Totally_ not a stalker...

* * *

Hey everybody!

As soon as I proofread that last sentence, I realized something.

 _I've completely forgotten about stating that **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**._

So, yeah. Even if I did own Hunter x Hunter, I wouldn't change it at all. I quite like the anime being completely centered around Gon and Killua's stalwart friendship (then crying when Gon loses his Nen...). Though there _are_ certain things in the manga that I'm not too happy about.

The only thing I could possibly own in this fanfic are the OCs and the occasional divergence from the anime, because with OCs (original characters) comes OC (original content). ;)

With all that said (or typed depending on how you look at it), I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and the story so far and are excited (hopefully...) about the future chapters to come. :)


	7. Arguments x and x Meetings

"Kuriya, what are you doing there?"

The questioned girl scowled, a little more than frustrated. Even though all she wanted to do was snap at the person on the other line, she helped back her frustration. Kuriya felt that she needed to act like it didn't bother her.

"It's none of your business," Kuriya retorted cooly.

"It is. You're my daughter, and you're also taking the Hunter Exam. I have a right to know why you're over there and not here training."

Kuriya stared directly ahead, practically boring holes into the people who had the misfortune to be there. She blamed her attitude and overall perspective on life on her favorite uncle. He was fairly attentive and greatly affectionate in his own way to her, which surprised the rest of their tight-knit family. In fact, he was known to spoil the girl often, from letting her skip training sessions to stealing items and money for her. He was the only uncle that she never snapped at.

"If you had it your way, I'd be training indefinitely. Do disagree if I happen to be wrong," Kuriya stated firmly.

There was no response from the other side.

Like I thought, Kuriya thought haughtily.

"I'm here at the Hunter Exam to prove to you that I'm ready. I'm going to prove my worth and show you how much I belong in the gang. I know I'm ready to join, but you don't seem willing to let me. Isn't the gang you founded your _family_?" Kuriya stressed, finding his current logic inane. She glanced around her, wondering if people were eavesdropping. If such was the case, Kuriya wanted to make sure that the eavesdropper have no idea that the gang in question was the Phantom Troupe.

"Kuriya, being in the Phantom Troupe requires you to risk your life. And I–"

"Do you truly believe in what you're saying? Why are you, the head of the gang, afraid of some girl joining the ranks? If I drag you guys down you could always just leave me behind to fend for myself–"

"No. You're more than just a girl, Kuriya. Why can't you get it through your head that you're my _daughter_ ," the person on the other side of the phone stressed.

"Exactly. I'm _your_ daughter. Which means I should be part of the gang, and ready to take your place if something were to happen to you," Kuriya said, definitely angry by her father's stubbornness. Even so, she refrained from letting her father, and the rest of the world, hear her anger.

"Kuriya, I–"

"I'll give you a choice, **Father**. You are a leader of a gang, and I'm the heir. You also happen to be a father, and I'm your daughter. You can only choose one, because the other would just get in the way. The gang, or your daughter? Which is more important to you? Call me back when you've made up your mind," Kuriya said, hanging up on him.

I can't believe him. He was my hero, the one I looked up to. Where did my hero go? Now all I see is a man unwilling to put his own gang, the gang he thinks of as _family_ , ahead of everything else. He always told me that the Phantom Troupe is about survival. That even if the head were to go, the spider would be crawling. So why would the spider suddenly not be able to go if _one_ leg had been pulled out? Specifically me?

"Ah, excuse me," a person from behind said tentatively, "have you seen a group with a little boy and girl in it? The boy has black hair with a tint of green and the girl has white hair."

Kuriya huffed and glanced behind her to see a tall woman with green eyes.

"No, I haven't," Kuriya said, still staring straight ahead. She had to admit that those eyes were pretty, and a bit familiar, but Kuriya didn't ponder much on them.

I bet Mal would kill to have those eyes. They might sell well. Nothing like the Kurta's, though.

"Um, well, thank you anyway."

"No problem," Kuriya said curtly.

She didn't even look back to watch a woman that she actually knew walk away from her.

Looking around her surroundings, Kuriya spotted a girl with long violet hair and a boy with white hair.

Could that be Mal? I thought she was still in the circus?

She walked up to her and tapped her left shoulder three times in quick succession.

The girl with violet hair whipped around and threw herself at Kuriya. Kuriya barely had the time to brace herself from the move. Fortunately she was strong enough to make sure they didn't fall.

"Kuri! You're here!"

"Mal, get off me," Kuriya said, ignoring the discomfort of not being able to breathe. Malli let go, but Kuriya was certain her command didn't reach Malli's ears. Upon one look at Malli's distressed expression, Kuriya confirmed her thought.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're here. I just wanted some food and I didn't have very much change after getting to Zaban City, but I found this cheap-looking cafe and ordered a steak combo, and you know how I feel self-conscious about eating in front of people so I ordered the back room, and then the room started to move, and the whole time I was wondering when I'd get my food, and then the room stopped moving and the wall opened up to this big underground tunnel, and I've been so lost ever since, but then I met Killua and he's nice, but I know he thinks I'm a weirdo, and I was just so scared!"

"...I see. Then I'm glad I'm here, too," Kuriya said, patting the girl's back soothingly despite having a blank look on her face.

"Hey, Kuri, what's wrong? You don't look so chipper," Malli pointed out with a big grin.

"Mal, I don't look chipper. But, yeah, I had a talk with my dad. Apparently he doesn't want me taking the Hunter Exam. Says I'm not ready yet," Kuriya said, rolling her eyes.

"You know, it's disrespectful to roll your eyes, especially at your parents," Malli said with a hint of fear.

"Unlike you, Mal, my dad didn't resort to abusing me every time I did something wrong. Why do you even still like your dad at all?"

"Well, he's not as mean to me as he is to everyone else. As long as I'm good he's not mean. Besides, he's my dad," Melli said, a big smile on her face despite the serious topic.

"You're too carefree," Kuriya said with a sigh.

"Nah, I just like to look on the bright side. Besides, I know my dad loves me. It only makes sense that I love him too," Malli ended.

"Fine, whatever. Who's this boy you've been hanging around with, then?"

Malli grinned, and Kuriya felt just a little sorry for the boy.

I should probably keep it to myself that Malli looks _very much_ like her dad when she has _that grin_ on her face. Yes, it's probably for the best that I don't reveal that.

"Kuriya, this is Killua. Killua, meet my old friend Kuriya," Malli said with as much exuberance as her body could release.

"Hi," Killua said.

Kuriya sighed, then said, "Hello."

"So!" Malli said, glancing back between Killua and Kuriya, "let's be friends!"

I'm not sure if I feel the same, Mal, Kuriya thought. Oh well, I guess I'll be able to get to know one of the contestants. Maybe I could figure out what he's hiding. His acting isn't as great as Primna's could be. Of course, the key word is _could_.

"Sure, why not," Killua said, eyeing Kuriya suspiciously.

Hmm, this might be fun, Kuriya thought, resisting the urge to smirk.


	8. Running x Toy x Soldiers

"I apologize for the wait."

Primna looked at the man who had spoken, worry shining in her eyes. She was looking for Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon, but she hadn't found them yet. Soon enough, however, she decided to focus on the man's features in front of her, specifically his really curly mustache.

What an odd looking thing that is, Primna thought. I can't even see his mouth. Where is it? Is his mustache really blocking his lips from view? How would even eat without hair getting in your mouth?

"The entry period for Hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin!"

But I haven't found them yet, Primna thought exasperatedly. If only I could buy more time to find them.

"A final caution. If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead."

Yeah, yeah, we get it. We're signing our death warrants by taking this exam.

"Those who accept the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you."

Just as she had expected, nobody went to go into the elevator. They all came this far, if they couldn't handle themselves they wouldn't be here, Primna thought.

"Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One."

And with that, the examiner turned around and walked in the weirdest way Primna had ever seen.

He looks like a toy soldier, Primna thought derisively. Why is he walking that way? Examiners these days.

Despite failing her mission to locate the group, she decided that she'd find them during the Phase One exam. She started to follow.

But she immediately noticed how he somehow walked faster.

How does he manage to do that without changing any of his movements? That doesn't even seem possible, Primna thought.

Sooner than she thought, she ended up having to jog to follow him. Then it turned into a run.

"I neglected to introduce myself," the voice of the examiner echoed over the sound of the jogging applicants. "I am Satotz, the Phase One examiner. I shall lead you to the exam's Second Phase."

So this is more like an endurance test? Well, you could see it that way but I doubt it's that simple. He just said to follow him. If we could use Nen, this would be easier. Wait, do I sense someone using Nen?

Looking in the direction, Primna located a girl with violet hair.

She's using Nen? If she gets caught…

Just then, she stopped using Nen. Primna also noticed the black-haired girl jogging next to her had hit her upside the head, causing the violet-haired girl to rub the spot. The boy on a skateboard next to them looked at the spectacle with confusion.

The boy doesn't know. That could've gotten her disqualified.

"I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You need to follow me," the examiner said.

Thirty kilometers, and Primna can see the numbers were dwindling.

"Hey! Wait up, kid!"

Primna knew that voice. She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the voice, but she couldn't pinpoint where Leorio was. She started to slow down slightly, allowing herself to get further from Satotz.

I could catch up later. Right now, my main goal is to locate them. After that, I'll try and pass whatever weird test this is.

"...Hunter Exam some respect!"

There's Leorio's voice again.

"Why are you using a skateboard? That's cheating!"

Skateboard? So he's talking to that kid on the skateboard. Unless someone else has a skateboard, which seems unlikely. It's easier to locate the white haired kid among a bunch of dark haired people. Though I guess I could look out for Kurapika as well…

"No, it isn't," Primna heard Gon say.

I'm getting closer, unless their voices are louder than usual. 'Course the tunnel could be making them louder but who the hell cares about logistics like that at this time?

"Gon, what are you saying?"

"The examiner only told us to follow him."

Found them!

Primna located them, but stayed a little ways to watch the drama unfold. She found their friendly banter and arguing amusing.

"Whose side are you on, eh?"

Primna watched the white-haired kid slow down and talk to Gon. She could see the violet-haired girl watching the white-haired boy's actions, the black-haired girl by her side looking bored.

"Hey, how old are you?"

"I'm twelve years old," Gon said.

12, huh? Cute, Primna thought with a genuine smile.

"Guess I'll run too," the white haired boy said. Just like that, he was running, skateboard clutched to his side.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Gon."

And let the cuteness overload my brain cells, Primna thought with embarrassment. As if Gon wasn't enough, Killua just came into the picture to make the cuteness _unbearable_. I'm sorry, Father. I just can't be cold and heartless to these children bonding together so innocently.

"And my name's Quino."

Primna decided that she should probably make herself known, and make the group no longer worried by her absence. At least, she thought _maybe_ they were worried. Who knows, though?

"Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, Quino!" Primna called out, ever so stealthily going over to them.

"Primna! You made it!"

Leave it to Gon to be energetic like that in the middle of a run.

"Hey guys. I finally found you. I was looking for you before the exam started but I couldn't find you guys," Primna stated with a sweet smile.

"Hi, Primna," Leorio said through gasps.

Haha, someone's struggling, Primna thought with a giggle.

"Primna," Kurapika simply said.

"I thought you didn't make it in time," Quino said with a huff. Primna took note that Quino looked tired.

"Killua, that's Primna. She passed with us, but she had to make her way to the exam site on her own. Primna, this is Killua!"

Primna waved at Killua, and Killua waved back.

It was a while later, about sixty kilometers in, when she noticed Leorio started to slow down.

Is he not going to make it? Primna thought.

Glancing at Kurapika, she realized that he hadn't noticed.

I thought they were friends. Maybe they weren't as close as I'd thought.

A thud echoed in the tunnel, the sound coming from behind Primna. She glanced over her shoulder, and realized that Leorio had dropped his briefcase. Leorio had stopped, his hands on his knees.

This is the end for him, isn't it?

Primna felt worried, the distance between them getting further and further.

What is this feeling? Why…

Gon stopped, looking behind him, Quino right by his side. His gaze was set on Leorio. Primna felt herself slow down.

"Hey, forget him. Let's get going," Killua said. He had also stopped when Gon did. Primna stopped in her tracks, nearly tripping the people behind her. She turned around and watched the scene with great interest.

"Be quiet, idiot," Quino whispered, staring at Gon's determined look. Silence overtook them for a good minute before she saw a fire being lit in Leorio's eyes.

"Screw that…" Leorio muttered, but it was loud enough for Primna to hear it. Then he stood up and charged straight ahead. "I'm gonna become a Hunter!" He screamed, running past Gon with so much speed that Primna thought Leorio would leave a trail of fire behind him.

A look of determination. That fits him more than the look of defeat, Primna noted. Why does his despair bother me, though? I usually revel in others' despair.

Primna watched as he passed her, admiring his willpower but also admiring Gon's willingness to help a friend out despite decreasing his chances to pass the Phase One exam.

Good thing Gon picked up Leorio's briefcase, Primna thought. Leorio seems to be forgetful at times.

Primna started running again, catching up to the huge group ahead of her. She caught up, and a few minutes later she noticed that Satotz had picked up his pace.

Okay, that's not nice. Well, I can handle it, but I don't know about everybody else. Though I'm mostly concerned about Leorio. He just got back up…

Primna glanced at Leorio. She could tell he was working on fumes. Primna sighed, hoping that he could make it.

Why do I concern myself with these people?

* * *

Hey everybody!

I'm. So. Sorry! I don't have any excuse for not posting yesterday. Time just slipped by and I hadn't even thought about posting because I had thought I did. Until I came back on here and realized I _hadn't_. Again, I'm **really** sorry.

Oh, and because I need to make it a habit: **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**. In fact, I don't have any anime, book, movie, etc. tied to my name. None. But... I'll go ahead and remind everybody every chapter that I don't from now on. Copyright and all that, right?

Anyway... I hope you aren't too upset with me not posting yesterday. I'll go ahead and post two chapters today to make it up. Though you'll have to wait tonight (depending on where you are it might still be afternoon/evening. I go by Eastern Time, in case you were wondering.) to get the next chapter.

With all that said, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far and don't be feel scared to review. I won't bite. But don't feel pressured to review either, I'm posting this story because of how much I've written (I have 150+ pages, so that's why I'm able to post everyday...), not for the reviews. Thank you for all who have viewed my work, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy my work. Bye-bye.

PS: Since I post _every_ day, you might want to follow this story so that way you know when I post. I don't have a set schedule.


	9. Fanatics x and x Dinners

"Kuri, I'm hungry!"

"Mal, you have to keep up," Kuriya chastised the girl running next to her.

"Easy for you to say! You probably had something to eat before this, didn't you?" Malli pointed a finger at Kuriya accusingly.

She's as dramatic as her dad, Kuriya thought bitterly. How does she have enough energy to be so energetic right now?

She's so serious, like her dad, Malli thought. How could she go throughout an entire day without being or looking happy?

"Just keep an eye on your boyfriend," Kuriya said snidely.

Malli gasped, a blush dusting her cheeks. Kuriya smirked at the reaction.

"N-no! He's not my boyfriend! He's just, um, a, uh, oh! He's just a treasure that I want to steal," Malli said, nodding her head along the statement.

"Do you realize how romantic that sounds?" Kuriya remarked.

"R-ro– you're right! Oh my god, what am I going to do Kuriya! I've never felt this way about anybody before. Not even Dad!"

"Mal, if you'd felt that way about your dad, I'd feel concerned, and _very_ disturbed," Kuriya said with a sigh.

"Oh, so this isn't normal?" Malli asked.

Kuriya wasn't sure whether Malli even heard her comment. "It's normal."

Malli looked really confused, and Kuriya hoped that she didn't need to discuss and explain what it is she's feeling. However, Kuriya acknowledged that Malli needed to know how to deal with these _feelings_ before they controlled her. Secretly, Kuriya knew there was no antidote for her friend.

Unless I take care of the problem. Should I, though? As her friend, and temporary guardian, I must make sure that whatever I do what benefit Mal. I've no doubt Mal would hate me for some time if I get rid of the boy. Eventually she'd get over it, though. I'm certain of it. But perhaps for now I'll simply observe. If the boy ends up a threat, I'll eliminate him. Besides, I must attend to Mal's confusion. She's still waiting on me to explain further.

"Look," Kuriya started, catching Malli's attention, "this is what people call 'a crush'."

"A crush? Oh, _that's_ what you mean," Malli said with a grin.

What did she think I meant? Nevermind, I don't really want to know.

"Yes, a crush. You have a crush on Killua," Kuriya stated.

"Mmm, I don't know. I just feel like he's unique, and he could probably be sold for a lot. Think about it–"

"I don't _want_ to and you know better than to bring the subject up," Kuriya said with a sigh.

She and Malli had similar views when it comes to theft, but Kuriya was only interested in the _thrill_. Kuriya loved the rush she got after a heist or after successfully stealing from a dangerous figure. She knew that Malli also liked thieving, but her mind was usually set on how much the thing would sell. A long time ago they both had swore to each other that they would never touch the human trafficking section of the underworld. Kuriya didn't want anything to do with that certain area of expertise, but she wasn't sure if Malli had the restraint and discipline necessary to not stumble into that. She didn't want Malli to get hooked onto that kind of stuff. Malli _did_ like to steal eyes and keep them as her personal collection. To this day, Kuriya still doesn't know where Malli keeps that collection. Other than that, Malli didn't steal anything _human_.

"–He has white hair, as white as snow, and blue eyes, that are, like, icy and piercing, and pale skin, that looks _flawless_ , and he just looks _beautiful_ ," Malli said with a dreamy sigh.

"...you have a crush on him." Kuriya pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Okay, fine! So, I might have a crush on him. He thinks I'm a weirdo, so that's great!" Malli yelled in exasperation.

"Mal, keep it down. Don't want lover boy to hear, right?"

"Um, Kuri?"

Kuriya felt unnerved by Malli's worried voice. "Yeah, Mal?"

"I think I lost Killua," Malli said with a frown on her face.

Kuriya felt relieved that it wasn't anything distressing. "You want to find him?" she asked her friend. Kuriya watched Malli's frown instantly turn upside down.

"Yep!" Malli said, sprinting ahead with the zeal of an obsessed girl with a crush.

Good grief, Kuriya thought, running to catch up to Malli and her ever scrambled emotions. At least she keeps me on my toes; always looking out for her and making sure she doesn't get herself killed.

X X X

"Gon, Quino, wanna race to see who finishes first?" Killua asked, giving a nonchalant smirk. While Gon wasn't even aware of it, Quino could practically feel the arrogance contained in that smirk.

"Sure," Gon said.

"Okay," Quino said, nodding her head. In reality, she was feeling like she couldn't go on for much longer. Not with this speed.

I've worked in a blacksmith's shop for my whole life. I'm strong, but that doesn't mean that I have a lot of stamina. Especially for something like this. You didn't have to run a marathon to make tools, cutlery, and weapons.

"The loser has to buy dinner," Gon stated.

"Okay, you're on!" Killua said with enthusiasm.

"Wa–"

"Ready…"

Oh well, Quino thought with defeat. I guess I'll buy dinner. There's no way I can beat these two. I'm certain I'm running on fumes by now. But if by some miracle I manage to win, I'm not going to hold myself back on the bragging. They would've been beaten by a girl.

Quino braced herself.

"Go!" All three of them said simultaneously, running up the stairs with energy that only kids had.

* * *

Hey, everybody!

That 'X X X' at the middle-end was my attempt at mushing two 'chapters' into one. Both of them were so short, and I felt it would've been better to hit two birds with one stone. Even though I combined them both, this chapter only barely reached 1,000 words. 1,008 to be precise.

Anyway, thank you all for viewing this story and I hope you enjoy it. 'Cause if you didn't, I don't know why you'd be reading it...

Oh, right, **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**.

PS: See, I did two chapters today. Yay!


	10. The x World's x Dark

"Leorio, are you okay?"

Primna wanted to roll her eyes, but she instead made a concerned glance at Leorio. He had just gotten back up and started running with everybody but Primna knew he wasn't in the best shape to be running for so long. Though that could just be her assumption.

"Sure! Just look at me. I realized that I can keep going if I don't worry about how stupid I look!" With that said, Leorio pushed even harder.

Interesting thought, Primna pondered. You can't focus on your appearance during the Hunter Exam. That will only get in the way.

 **Long hair will only get in the way.**

Primna saw that Kurapika had followed his example, shedding off his blue garment and revealing a white garb underneath.

He wears both of those and he _just_ took them off? Guys, nuts, Primna thought with an internal scoff.

"Leorio… I have a question," Kurapika said as he caught up with Leorio.

Primna pushed a bit harder to catch up with them.

"What? Is this too easy for you, Kurapika? Talking just wastes energy!"

He has a point, Primna mentally point out. But I doubt Kurapika would be talking right now if it wasn't important. He doesn't seem like the type to needlessly talk.

"Are you really trying to become a Hunter for the money?"

Becoming a Hunter for the money? Expected, but not Leorio. He's too kind to be like that.

 **Don't let your opinions cloud your thinking.**

Primna felt a shiver go down her spine.

Of course not, Father, Primna thought bleakly.

"You aren't, right? We've only been together for a few days, but I know you better than that," Kurapika pointed out, his gaze set ahead of him. Leorio, however, looked away from Kurapika.

Hit the nail on the head, Primna thought as she studied Leorio.

"Sure, you have a nasty attitude, and you aren't very bright. But you're not shallow person. I've seen many who live for money. You're nothing like them," Kurapika said, finishing his speech.

"You and your logic…" Leorio muttered.

"But isn't he right?" Primna retorted, not even aware that she had said so out loud.

Both of them glanced at Primna, who had wondered why they glanced at her.

"Scarlet eyes…" Kurapika started.

What? Scarlet eyes? Primna thought. What does this have to do with the eyes?

"That's why the Kurta were targeted," Kurapika continued on, his eyes darkening as if he was reliving a tortuous nightmare.

Or perhaps a memory? Does he have connections with the clan? Why would he be so affected by it if not that? Primna thought, trying to predict why he would mention the Kurta Clan's massacre.

"We Kurta are known for our unique scarlet eyes."

'We Kurta'... oh. Kurapika is– I should introduce him to Kuriya, Primna thought with a smirk. She quickly wiped the smirk off her face, not wanting them to see something so out of character, and replaced it with a frown.

"When our emotions are heightened, our eyes turn scarlet, as though on fire. The eyes in that scarlet state are considered one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. The black market sell them for a high price," Kurapika finished.

So there's one more Kurta around. Kuriya definitely needs to know this. I saw her with that violet haired girl, but I don't know if I trust that girl to know this information. Mere acquaintances, or someone that Kuriya never mentioned?

"That's why the Phantom Troupe attacked you?" Leorio asked.

Yes, Primna thought. Yes, that's why. Money, and beauty. That's how the world operates these days...

"They took every single eye from my brethren's corpses. I can still hear their darkened eyes crying out in anguish…"

And you know what sucks even more? The fact that such a story has been told many, many times. I've heard many have similar pasts, and some even impossibly darker.

"I swear I will capture the Phantom Troupe!" Kurapika proclaimed.

Ah, maybe I shouldn't introduce Kuriya to him. If he were to find out about her _connections_ , I'm sure he'd be the first to line up and attempt to kill her.

"And I will reclaim the eyes of my clan!"

"That's why you want to be a Hunter?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah, if I become a Hunter with rich clients, I'll gain access to black market information," Kurapika said.

Hmm, logical conclusions. But with rich clients comes great responsibility. Along the way you'll realize, even more than you already do, that power truly corrupts all.

"But you'll have to swallow your pride and become the kind of Hunter you despise!" Leorio said.

"The blow to my pride is nothing, measured against the suffering my clan endured," Kurapika explained.

Hmm, maybe I'll just warn Kuriya about Kurapika wanting to kill the Phantom Troupe _before_ I introduce her to him. Then tell her that he's not after the Phantom Troupe _just_ yet. She'll probably hold off on outright killing him, unless he somehow discovers that Kuriya has relations to the Phantom Troupe. That situation would get messy.

When Primna ended her mental musings, she realized that something had happened, specifically with Kurapika and Leorio.

Kurapika looks like he wants to murder him, Primna thought. She would say she was confused, but that would be an understatement.

"Take that back, Leorio! If you're insulting the Kurta, I won't forgive you."

"Why? I'm telling you the truth. If I'd had money, my friend wouldn't have died!"

...Oh. His friend died because he lacked money?

"An illness?" Kurapika asked quietly after a tense moment of silence.

"It was treatable…"

But he didn't have enough money to get treatment for his friend. And the doctor wasn't willing to accept any lower price. An often scenario, unfortunately.

"The problem was that the operation costs a fortune. I was naive! I thought I could become a doctor…" Leorio said with a despondent look in his eyes.

Now that I think about it, Primna thought as she glanced around at her surroundings, isn't this kind of information a bit too sensitive to talk about with others near?

"I wanted to cure kids who have the same disease, and be able to tell them it was free of charge! Then I could have told his parents, too. That was my dream…"

It still is, though. He still has a bunch of medical equipment in his suitcase. I could see him as a doctor. It suits him.

"What a joke. Turns out that to become a doctor, you need even more money! Got it? The world runs on money…"

No point in denying that fact, Primna thought. For some reason, I feel like I shouldn't be here to hear about this. I wonder why I care if this is too personal or not? They feel comfortable enough to have a spat like this in front of mere strangers. So why do I care, indeed…

"So I want money!"

"You may think this world is horrible, but you have to remember the good moments. At the end of the tunnel is always light. You just gotta keep trudging forward with each heavy step," Primna said, the words flowing out of her mouth before she could even articulate them to sound gentler. Leorio looked bewildered, and Kurapika was a bit shocked. "Besides, Dr. Leorio has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Primna said, smiling at Leorio sweetly in the hopes of recovering from her earlier blunder. She knew why she had just blurted out those words.

I was getting tired of seeing that look in his eyes. Does he really think money will get him what he wants? Sure, it might at first, but eventually you'll just abuse it. Nobody's a saint with that kind of power in their hands.

"See you at the goal, Kurapika. You too, Primna," Gon said as Killua, Quino, and himself caught up with the older group, interrupting the silence that had come over them.

"Catch you later, old timer," Killua said, a mischievous smirk on his face.

Old timer? What a cheeky kid, Primna thought, making sure the smirk she wanted to give didn't come out.

"I'm not old! I'm a teenager, just like you guys!" Leorio shouted at Killua.

What?

"Oh," Primna said, the word having slipped past her lips.

I didn't think he was as old as Killua implied, but I didn't think Leorio was a teenager. Maybe a young adult.

After that, nobody said anything.

Quino doesn't look too good, Primna thought as she eyed the three children racing ahead of them. I hope she'll be okay later.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So... yeah. I have no other words than to say that I'm sorry, again. Well, I _was_ unexpectedly busy yesterday. But still, I feel I could've set some time aside to post this chapter. Unfortunately, I can only post this one chapter right now because Fridays are busy days for me (of course, some Fridays aren't as busy as others...). With that said, I'll double post on Sunday to make it up to all of you.

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**.

PS: Oh, right! I hope you enjoy the story and all, and... maybe review? Um, I hope I'm not– oh! And make sure to follow because I basically post every day (except Saturdays). So it'd be really handy to hit that 'follow story' button if you want to continue reading. Ciao!


	11. Obsessions x Racing x (&) Memories

"There he is!" Malli shouted as she pointed at the only three other children running ahead.

"Mal, what did I say about keeping quiet?" Kuriya whispered harshly, giving a light smack to the back of Malli's head. She winced when Kuriya's smack made contact with her head, pouting at the sudden hit.

"Owe! Why did you do that?" Malli whined as she rubbed the back of her head with one hand.

Kuriya sighed, then said, "I told you to be quiet. We don't want to alert him to the fact that we've been spying on him."

"Sorry," Malli muttered, laughing a little, "I'm just relieved that I've found him and he's okay."

"Yes, I'm aware," Kuriya said, studying the happy look on Malli's face, "but what did you think you'd see? The exam has barely started. I doubt people are thinking about taking each other out when they're this tired."

"Tired? I'm not tired," Malli said. Kuriya wanted to roll her eyes.

"I wasn't saying _you_ were tired. _Everyone_ _else_ is the subject of my plausible assumptions," Kuriya explained.

"Oh! Well, I guess that's true," Malli muttered. Then she perked up and said, "I have to make sure he's a-okay. Look, he's even made some friends! See? He looks so happy."

"Mal, please change the subject. You're obsessive behavior is overwhelming me," Kuriya said with a huff.

"Really? I don't think I'm acting any differently than usual," Malli said, a finger tapping her chin.

"The amount of times you've talked about that boy has exceeded even the amount of times you've talked about how you're hungry. Therefore, that boy is more of a priority in your head than your own needs. Which is entirely unhealthy," Kuriya growled out.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Malli remarked with a big grin.

She's turning out to be as annoying as her dad, Kuriya thought with derision. Am _I_ turning out to be like my dad? I don't know if I feel happy about that thought or disgusted.

"I think they're racing," Malli pointed out.

"You think?" Kuriya rolled her eyes.

"Hey, maybe we should race too?" Kuriya already felt tired as she witnessed Malli's interested look turn into an enthusiasm that only spelled recklessness to Kuriya.

"Is this your attempt at telling me to pretend we're having our own race when in reality you just want to get closer without seeming inconspicuous?" Kuriya predicted.

"Wow, you know me so well, Kuri!" Malli practically shouted with joy.

Kuriya shook her head, trying to calm herself from her frustration.

This girl is going to be the death of me one day, Kuriya thought to herself.

"Fine. Ready…" Kuriya started, getting ready to bolt.

"Go!" Malli said, both of them taking off.

Malli was having so much fun that she hadn't noticed she had passed Killua, Gon, and Quino. Kuriya, however, did.

"Kuri, why are you smirking?" Malli asked as she caught the slight smirk spread upon Kuriya's lips.

"Oh, just imagining your face when I beat you," Kuriya said smoothly, unwilling to tell her the truth.

No way am I telling her that she passed Killua. She'd just turn right back around and run the other way.

"What! Oh no you don't, I'm the one beating you!" Malli said with a small pout on her lips and a fire in her eyes.

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Kuriya said, feeling competitive for once. She glanced at Malli and couldn't help but think about what he Uncle Fei told her.

 _"Uncle Fei, why do all the other kids get to play but I don't?"_

 _His dark eyes, that would look intimidating to most, held a dark knowing look in them. "They're weak. You're strong. That's it."_

 _"So if I were weak..?"_

 _"Never weak. You'd never be weak," Uncle Fei pressed, sending the eight year old girl a light glare._

 _"So I can't ever have friends?"_

 _"Why have friends when you have us?"_

 _"I... I guess it would be nice to have friends. I– nevermind, Uncle Fei. It's... I don't need friends. I have my family."_

 _"Always remember that. Family before friends," Uncle Fei said, staring down at the little girl._

 _"Right. Family first, friends second," the black-haired girl said, nodding her head along with her statement._

 _Despite not able to see the light smile on his covered mouth, she could tell he was pleased because of the crinkles around his eyes. She smiled back at him with all the innocence of a people-pleasing child._

Kuriya sighed, feeling a bit down upon remembering the memory.

"Are you okay, Kuri?"

She glanced at Malli, whose smile had been replaced by a concerned frown.

"I'm fine, Mal. Just... remember things."

Malli's frown became deeper, a sign that she was more concerned over Kuriya's mood than the race.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kuriya glanced at her, then shook her head.

"No need. It's... it's fine," Kuriya dismissed. "You're family. Not a friend," Kuriya muttered to herself.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Tada! Ya know, I'm actually really frustrated with this chapter. Do you wanna know why? This chapter started at 305 words. I managed to bump it up to 883 words. Le sigh.

Well, aside from my first world problems (heh), I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter or any of its characters/settings/plot/etc.**


	12. Who x is the x Victor?

Killua, Gon, and Quino watched as the violet-haired girl and the black-haired girl ran up the stairs.

"Those two look like they are having fun," Quino stated, trying her best to not sound winded.

"I'm impressed that you can keep up with me," Killua commented.

"Hmph, like I'm going to get beaten by you," Quino said, though she knew it was only a matter of time before she couldn't keep up anymore. Not that she would admit that to them.

"Really?" Gon said, acting bashful.

"Or maybe it's just that everyone else is too slow."

No, that's not it at all, Killua, Quino thought. Please don't go any faster. I don't know how much more I can take…

"Man… the Hunter Exam is gonna be a breeze. That's no fun," Killua said, whining just a bit at the prospect of an 'unchallenging' Hunter Exam.

Speak for yourself, Quino thought. She wanted to snap at his arrogance. Or maybe it was jealousy?

"Hey, why do you want to become a Hunter?" Gon asked.

"Me? I'm not really interested in becoming a Hunter," Killua said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Same," Quino muttered under her breath. Killua rose an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"I heard the exam was supposed to be really hard, so I thought it'd be fun. But this is disappointing," Killua said with a bored expression.

Grr, you arrogant child, Quino thought.

She didn't dare voice her opinion, considering Gon was taking a liking to Killua. She didn't want to ruin a friendship at her expense.

You'd think he could tone down his smugness, though. I hope he grows out of that, Quino thought.

"...About you?"

"Huh?" Quino asked. She realized that both of the boys were looking at her.

Do I have something on my face? Dirt? Mud? Sewage? Wait, none of those really make sense...

"Why do you want to be a Hunter?" Gon asked.

"I don't really care about being a Hunter. All I really want to do is find my wayward adoptive mother," Quino said with a huff.

"Then why are you here?" Killua asked, wondering why Quino was even here then.

That's a good question, Quino thought a bit sarcastically.

"Originally I came because I wanted to make sure Gon didn't get taken advantage of. Now, I'm not sure. But I figured that maybe if I passed and became a Hunter that I could find her more easily."

"What about you, Gon?" Killua asked the boy running next to him.

"Well, my dad's a Hunter. So I want to become a Hunter, like my dad," Gon said.

"What kind of Hunter is he?"

The kid doesn't know his father, Quino thought with a well-disguised huff. She was _really_ starting to regret joining in this race.

"I don't know," Gon admitted.

Killua laughed. "That's kinda weird."

"Really?"

"You want to be like your dad, but you don't know anything about him?" Killua asked, not finding any logic in Gon's statements.

Yes, that's Gon in a nutshell. Endearing, isn't he?

"I was raised by Mito, so I've only seen my dad in pictures," Gon explained.

"Who's Mito?" Killua asked.

I'd like to know the answer to that question, too.

"Aunt Mito."

Hah, Mito is a girl! I knew it.

"When he was twelve, my dad took the Hunter Exam. He passed and became a Hunter. Then he left the island. I want to find out why he chose to be a Hunter over being with me," Gon said with determination.

Oh god, Gon– Wait! A light at the end of the tunnel. Freedom!

Quino saw that the boys picked up their pace.

Oh, no you don't!

Huffing, Quino ran as fast as she could. She caught up with them just before they reached the end of the tunnel.

"Goal!" All three said.

"Yay! I win!" Gon shouted, jumping in glee over his victory.

"What are you talking about? I was faster…" Killua muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"What? No! I was faster," Quino interjected, raising her arms in the air in retaliation.

"I was…" Killua started.

However, Quino interjected. "No, that's not fair! I was working on fumes to keep up with you two!" She stomped her foot on the ground, feeling a temper tantrum coming.

"That means you should buy us dinner!" Killua said.

"What? No, that means you should get me dinner because I worked harder!" Quino argued.

"It's a race! The one who gets to the finish line wins, not the one who works harder. The one who works harder should be the one who loses," Killua explained with a knowing smirk.

"What?" Quino said, positive that she didn't understand the logic in that.

Gon kept looking between Quino and Killua. Then he saw Satotz watching them.

"Hey, who was faster?" Gon asked, ignoring the back and forth argument between Quino and Killua.

"I believe that you all crossed the finish line simultaneously," Satotz stated.

"Fine, I'll buy you dinner, you can buy Gon dinner, and Gon can buy my dinner," Quino relented.

"Huh? I don't get it…" Killua said. Gon nodded his head before his attention was diverted toward Satotz.

"Hey, Satotz? Is this where the Second Phase of the exam takes place?" Gon asked.

"No, we still have quite a way to go," the examiner stated.

* * *

Hi, everybody!

...And now I'm happy! This one flowed _much_ better. :)

I might as well do this, even though I posted two chapters today: **I do not own Hunter x Hunter.** I only own the OCs and the deviations they create from the plot _from the anime_ (because I've not read the manga).

Have a great day/morning/noon/afternoon/evening/night (whenever you look at this) and I hope you enjoy the story so far. Until next time! (Which is tomorrow.)


	13. Man x Faced x Apes

"Hey, Kurapika!" Gon said. Quino looked in the direction that Gon was looking at and spotted the blond.

Kurapika waved at Gon, signaling he heard him.

"Hi Gon, Killua, Quino," Primna said. She snuck a glance at Leorio and smiled fondly.

Dang, he outdid himself but he made it. Gotta give props to the man, or should I say teenager?

"Is this our destination?" Kurapika asked.

The fog was thick. Primna could barely see the trees not too far from her.

"No, it isn't," Gon informed him.

"I see," Kurapika breathed out.

"The fog is fading," Primna observed, watching as the fog slowly dissipated.

"Huh, you're right," Quino said, getting up. Gon got up as well, taking in the sights.

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these Wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you…"

You're dead?

"...you're dead."

Yeah, figured as much.

The door behind them shut. Primna saw Quino jerk just a little, and Primna secretly wanted to spook the poor girl some more. Of course, she stopped herself.

Now's not the time to be scaring the daylights outta poor little girls. Though I bet it'd be fun.

"These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit… hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

"What a joke. How can they fool us, when we're expecting it?"

Did ya seriously just say that? Leorio, I thought you were smarter than this, Primna thought with a well concealed sigh.

"Don't let them fool you!" A voice from the right said.

"I just said that they can't," Leorio commented.

"D-don't fall for it…" The voice said again, revealing the owner to be a man. He pointed at the examiner. "He's lying to you! He's an imposter! He isn't an examiner… I'm the real examiner." He pointed to himself to emphasize, and Primna wanted to roll her eyes at the obvious deception.

Please, you think that's going to work?

"An imposter? What's going on?"

Are you kidding me?! They're considering it?

"Then who is he?" Someone asked.

"Look at this…" the man said, pulling a weird looking creature with the face of Satotz into view.

"He looks just like Satotz!" Gon shouted out, looking might surprised.

Wait just a second. That's... a Man-Faced Ape. Huh, didn't see the resemblance 'til now, actually. Thing is, a Man-Faced Ape is better at human camouflage than that. I doubt that man's an examiner anyhow. Too squishy.

"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands!"

"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" the man claiming to be an examiner said, pointing at the suspected examiner.

"He certainly doesn't walk like a human…" Someone said.

Well, yeah, but…

Primna watched as cards flew toward the beat-up man's body. They sliced into his skin, embedding into his sweaty body. His body stiffened, and flopped onto the ground behind him, signifying his death.

What the…

The sound of cards being shuffled reached her ears, and she looked to the left at the person with cards in his hands.

"I see, I see…"

He's the one who threw the cards, Primna thought. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"That settles it," the man said. "You're the real one."

So that was to prove who's the real examiner, huh? Makes sense. If the examiners couldn't deal with these brats then I doubt they'd be able to take care of any 'potential outbursts'… like this one, Primna noted mentally.

"Examiners are Hunters, selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack," the man stated.

"I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner. And you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?" the examiner warned the card-wielding magician.

"Sure," the man smoothly said.

Well, that sort itself.

"Nature really can be brutal to watch…" Leorio muttered as he watched vultures eat the Man-Faced Ape's body.

"So he was a Man-Faced Ape, as well," Kurapika noted.

Yes to both of those, Primna thought. Was it that surprising that the guy was actually a Man-Faced Ape? They're in surplus from where I come.

She frowned, putting on an act that she was just as disturbed. In reality, she didn't think the sight of the vultures eating the Man-Faced Ape's body was disturbing in the least.

That's a part of life. Besides, I couldn't care less at the end of the day.

"He was attempting to confuse the applicants, to lure some of them away," the examiner said.

"We cannot relax our guard," Killua said.

"You will be encountering such deception on a regular basis. I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?"

The look on Leorio's face made Primna giggle.

"Do you understand? If you lose sight of me in the Numere Wetlands fog, you will never reach the exam's Second Phase. Do bear that in mind."

Of course. But I think I'm going to take this chance and contact Kuriya, Primna thought as she watched Satotz turn around.

"Then let us be on our way. Please follow me," the examiner said, starting to walk toward the wetlands.

"Um, guys, I need to do something real quick. Don't worry though, I'll be fine. I'll catch up with you five later, okay?" Primna said, waiting for confirmation.

"Oh, um, okay," Leorio said, hesitation evident in his voice.

"You're leaving? I guess that's fine," Quino said, though it was obvious she felt just a bit suspicious.

"If you need to," Kurapika said, nodding his head to further prove that he was fine with it.

"Okay, be careful, Primna!" Gon said, waving goodbye to her.

"Sure," Killua said, a look of indifference on his face.

With that, the five followed Satotz.

"Okay, time to find Kuriya," Primna said, no longer a deceptively sweet smile on her face.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Guess what? I've achieved something that I shouldn't even be proud of! Yay! No, but seriously, I now have to **triple** post. If that's an achievement of laziness and absentmindedness then I don't know what is.

So, yeah: **I don't own Hunter x Hunter and everything in it. The only thing I can claim are my OCs and the original content they make.**

Well, I won't bore you with more words, so thanks for viewing and be ready for two more posts! Bye-bye!


	14. Secrets x in the x Wetlands

"I can't believe he did that," Malli said, looking as if she had seen a ghost. Which she would have felt better seeing than _him_.

"Mal, calm down. He doesn't know you're here, right?" Kuriya asked. Despite the blank look and passive voice, Malli knew that Kuriya was trying her best to soothe Malli's insecurities.

"I don't think so," Malli said, worrying her lip.

"Well, as long as he doesn't know–"

"Who doesn't know what?"

Malli stood stock still, a look of horror on her face. Kuriya glanced between the man right behind Malli and Malli herself. Malli, for once, wished Kuriya didn't look like her usual calm self. She even wished she could swap bodies with Kuriya.

"Kuri, pinch me," Malli said, her voice sounding so small.

"This isn't a dream–"

"Pinch me!" Malli screamed, and Kuriya felt that she could at least do that much for her friend. Approaching her, and in return approaching the man behind her, Kuriya pinched her friend's arm none too gently. Malli yelped, rubbing the wounded spot with a deep-seated frown.

"Is he still there?" Malli whispered to her friend.

Kuriya grimaced, looked up at the man still behind her who was fairly amused by the actions of her friend, and looked back down to her friend only to nod, much to Malli's horror.

Gulping audibly, Malli slowly turned around to meet the one person she did _not_ want to see. "Um, hey, Dad."

Malli saw the yellow eyes of her dad's narrow, spelling disaster for her. "Malli, what are you doing here?"

She felt her whole body shaking, but she tried her best to look at least a little bit presentable by smiling wryly at him. "What do you mean, Dad? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I'm always happy to see you, gumdrop," he said, giving a rare pleasant smile. While Malli felt better at the sight, Kuriya couldn't help but feel squeamish. Then, just as quickly as it came, the pleasant smile on his face disappeared and became a frown. With all the venom in the world, he said, "But I thought I told you to _stay_ at the circus."

Malli pouted at his words, the venom in his voice telling of his rising anger going over her head, and Kuriya knew Malli was about to explode.

"So what?! I want to live my life the way I want to! I'm tired of being at the circus, Dad! I want to see the world and experience life. I want to steal a whole bunch of treasures and make money so that way I can do whatever I want!"

Kuriya noted that Malli's dad wasn't having any of his daughter's defiance.

"I left you there for a reason," Malli's dad said.

"I appreciate you wanting to train me, but couldn't you just do that yourself?"

Malli's dad sighed. "I didn't make you stay there to train," he muttered, no longer feeling as angry as he had been.

"What?"

"I made you stay at the circus to stay safe. To make sure you didn't do anything reckless, like swindling treasures, or meet a boy and get taken advantage of."

"A boy?" Malli whispered.

Kuriya saw that look in Malli's eyes and knew she had to intervene.

"Don't worry, Mr. Morow. Malli isn't going to be dating any boy until I've screened them for any potential danger," Kuriya said, diverting his attention away from Malli.

Of course, Kuriya knew that Malli's dad didn't like her _at all_.

"You decide to fill my little gumdrop with dangerous thoughts, and now you expect me to trust you with her?" he said with disdain.

Kuriya could feel his bloodlust leaking. "I know you don't like me, but you know what will happen if you do anything to me," Kuriya reminded him.

The threat was enough to make Malli's dad control his bloodlust.

"Fine. You better make sure Malli doesn't get hurt. She's a swindler, not a fighter," Malli's dad reminded Kuriya.

"Hey, I can fight! Remember my Bubble Gum Gun?" Malli piped up, not liking how he was talking about her like she was weak. She hated being told she was weak.

"Malli, you can't use Nen in the Hunter Exam, remember?" Kuriya stated, reminding herself that Malli forgets things easily and that she can't just snap at Malli for doing something Malli's known to do.

"Oh, right," Malli said, chuckling.

"Now, gumdrop, you have to pretend you don't know me," Malli's dad said.

"Why?"

"Because if word got out that Hisoka the Magician has a little girl, they'd use you to get to me," Mall's dad, now revealed as Hisoka, said.

"Fine," Malli said defeatedly.

Hisoka gave a little smile to Malli, a heated glare toward Kuriya, and stalked off. Kuriya could feel his bloodlust leaking.

"Well, we should probably get going, huh?"

Kuriya looked at Malli's sad face. She opened her mouth to say something.

"Kuriya, I have something to tell you," a voice from behind them said.

Malli practically shrieked, and Kuriya swiftly glanced behind her to see a woman. A woman that Kuriya recognized.

"Primna? Do you–"

The woman nodded, a serious expression on her face. Kuriya nodded in response to her silent message and turned toward Malli.

"Mal, can you get through this forest and locate the meeting point?"

"Um, probably. I could tail my dad to the sight if I can't find my way around," Malli said.

"Okay, then this is where we part ways, for the time being. I need to talk with her," Kuriya said, nodding her head towards Primna.

Getting the hint, Malli stalked off.

"So, what news did you want to tell me?"

Primna smiled what could be considered an evil one, and said, "There's still a Kurta left."

Kuriya's eyes widened. "Really? I thought my father eradicated them all."

"There's a survivor. And he wants to annihilate the Phantom Troupe."

Kuriya huffed, crossing her arms under her chest. "'He'? So a male survived. I'm guessing he's currently in the Hunter Exam then since you hadn't told me of this when you asked for the Hunter Exam's site."

"You're assumptions correct. I could introduce you. I'm currently 'friends' with him. Or, at the very least in the same group," Primna suggested.

"Huh, you're very resourceful. Well, I'd appreciate it if I were to be introduced to him on friendly terms. I'm assuming that you're using one of your personas?"

Primna chuckled. "My babysitter one. I'll admit that the persona seems to be taking over me just a bit. I fear I'm getting... soft."

"You? Getting soft? That's a first," Kuriya said snidely.

"I don't need your sass. It's only happened _once_ and that's with _children_. I find myself growing soft for the others in the group that aren't young children. Their… light… is infectious."

"Hmm, I see. Well, I look forward to our introduction. Do you have any other information to give me?" Kuriya asked.

Primna shook her head, causing Kuriya to wave a hand at Primna dismissively.

"You may leave, then," Kuriya said.

"Aren't you going to the same place?" Primna asked, curious on Kuriya's thoughts.

"Yes, but I have a child to look after," Kuriya said with a sigh.

"That girl, correct? Who is she?"

Kuriya looked off into the direction where the bloodlust was coming from. "She's my friend, and my responsibility, in a way."

"Well, I won't pry. I have to go, otherwise they may get suspicious of me," Primna said, starting to walk away.

"Bye, friend," Kuriya said, waving goodbye to Primna.

When Primna was out of sight, Kuriya sighed. Then she started walking in the direction Primna had, leaving the trees that had blanketed their secrets.


	15. Running x and Playing x Examiner

"Gon," Killua said.

Quino looked behind them, feeling a little frustrated with Killua.

Killua is gradually taking my place as Gon's friend. While I think their friendship shouldn't be ruined, I can't help but feel like I'm becoming a third wheel. I wish I had another girl here to hang out with. Maybe I should've taken my chances with Primna while she was still around…

So lost in thought, Quino barely realized that Killua and Gon were moving a lot quicker.

Of course the examiner decides to make us run more. I officially hate running! Quino decided right then and there.

Not wanting to be left behind, Quino ran faster, eventually catching up with the boys.

"Um, why are we running faster?" Quino asked.

Killua rolled his eyes, which made Quino glare at him.

"Killua wanted us to get closer to Satotz," Gon said, smiling at Quino. Quino felt her cheeks color just a little.

"Oh," Quino muttered. They all continued on their trek in silence.

X X X

"Hmm, maybe this way? No, wait, maybe it was the way I was going. Gah! I don't know where I'm at anymore!" Malli shouted in frustration. She looked around her, not a single soul in sight. "What am I supposed to do when I'm completely lost like this? If only there was something to–"

That's when she heard screams.

Well, I guess I could at least investigate what happened over there, right? Malli thought. I'm lost anyways, so let's go check it out!

She walked toward the direction, intent on figuring out what had just occurred.

What in the world is going on? Malli thought as she took in the sight.

Malli saw two boys standing with well-concealed fear as her dad approached them ever so slowly. She knew what he was going to do next. She honestly just wanted to see how this played out. Whether the two died or managed to outdo her dad didn't matter to her. Though if they tried to kill him… that's a different story. She'd kill the two boys in a heartbeat, regardless of the Hunter Exam rules. She hid behind a tree, peeking her head just enough to see the event unfold.

When the two boys split, running in two different directions, she thanked whatever being out there that none of them went in her direction.

Those two are smart. Splitting up like that would either make him uninterested, or make him chase after one, sparing the other.

She almost ran from behind the tree to tell her dad how wise of a move that was, and to pester him about why he was in the Hunter Exam to begin with. However, one of the boys, the taller one, had come back. Malli was beyond confused and incredibly frustrated.

"I just can't do it…"

What do you mean 'I just can't do it'? Of course you can! Just make your legs move the opposite way! Malli thought with frustration.

"This may not be my fight, but I won't close my eyes and make a break for it!" he exclaimed.

He's the righteous type of guy, isn't he? Well, that righteousness is going to get him killed right now, Malli thought. All she knew was that she was looking forward to his end.

"Mmm, I adore that look on your face," Hisoka said. Malli knew that he was getting excited, anticipating the fight that was about to happen. She could practically feel his bloodlust from where she was at. But she was just as excited if she were to be honest with herself.

The guy had charged at her dad, but of course Hisoka dodged the blow fairly easily. He was behind the tall man, ready to strike, when a red ball hit him out of nowhere.

What the– no interfering!

Malli looked around and saw a figure in the fog. She recognized the black hair with some green in it. The boy was a friend of Killua's. Now that Malli thought about it, she realized that the two boys that were targets to Hisoka were friends of Killua's friend. In that instant, it was almost like a cold bucket of ice water fell on her.

Uh-oh. What do I do? Even I can't make him stop when he gets like this. I don't know what to do. I guess I should just wish them luck. It's the only thing I can really do. Dad did tell me not to reveal the fact that he's my dad. Gah! Why is life so complicated!

"Not bad, little boy."

Malli shivered at the way Hisoka gave all his attention to the boy.

He's found an interesting target. The boy just signed his death warrant, Malli thought anxiously. Not good, not good. Not good at all.

"Is that a fishing pole?"

Malli realized that the boy did have a fishing pole. She also recognized the red little ball that she saw hit her Dad square in the jaw dangling on the fishing line.

He attacked my dad with a fishing pole? That's something you don't see everyday. I gotta give the kid props for not only being bold but for being creative on top of that. I think I like him even more than I did when I realized that he was Killua's friend, Malli thought with awe.

Malli noticed that her dad was approaching the boy, like a tiger stalking ever so closer toward its prey.

"Allow me a closer look," Hisoka said.

"Your fight is with me!" The tall boy got up and charged at Hisoka from behind.

Phew, maybe that'll distract him from going after Killua's friend.

Hisoka whipped around and gave the tall boy an uppercut, sending him flying.

I should've known better…

But then the little boy charged at him, fishing pole ready to strike. Unfortunately, Hisoka dodged once again with ease.

"You came to rescue your friend?"

Dad's too good for the kid. But I can't just charge in there, Malli thought, worrying her lip in the process of her muling.

Wherever the boy ran, jumped, or landed, Hisoka was there waiting for him to stop.

"And that expression…"

Dad's just playing with his food at this rate.

The child swung his fishing pole again and again, each time Hisoka dodging it with little effort.

"Nice… very nice," Hisoka commented.

Malli saw her dad's expression change. Right then and there, she knew she couldn't do anything to help the boy.

"I'm getting excited now…"

When Dad got like that, he'd even attack me. It's happened often enough that I steer clear of him whenever possible when he gets like that.

Just as the boy kicked up dirt with his fishing pole to create a distraction, then proceeded to try to take Hisoka out from behind, he got caught. Hisoka's hand squeezed the child's neck, the child struggling as best he could as Hisoka lifted him up in the air by his neck.

Oh what am I supposed to do?

"How wonderful…"

No, this isn't wonderful at all! You always scare me when you get like this Dad! Geez, he'll never change, will he?

"I really do love that look."

Malli was certain that she didn't inherit her dad's psychopathy.

Or maybe I just haven't gotten to that age yet. Wait, does that require to be a certain age? I'm only 11. Yeah, maybe I'm too young. Or maybe I get it when I'm on my period. No, I don't think that's right either…

When Malli finally decided to focus on the event happening right before her, she found her dad squatting down in front of the child. He was looking down at him. The boy was coughing, his lungs greedily taking in air.

"Do not fear. I will not kill your friend," Hisoka informed the little boy.

Um, what? Seriously? Okay, what's happening? Has he– he's found someone that he loves more than me!? No! B-but… Dad…

"He passed."

Playing examiner, huh? Every time he got in that mood, no matter what I'd do he never snapped out of it. He hurt me for goodness sakes! Suddenly this kid comes along and he manages to snap out of it? What the hell!

"Yes, you pass, as well. Grow up and become a fine Hunter," Hisoka said to the taller boy.

He and I need to have a talk. The sooner, the better, Malli thought with finality.

Malli heard something beeping. Confused, she watched as Hisoka dug into his pocket and took out some sort of device.

"Hisoka, you should get back here. We're nearly at the Phase Two site," a voice said from the device.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Well, seems like Dad has some connections in the Hunter Exam.

"It's always good to have friends. You can find your own way back, yes?" Hisoka asked.

Silence, then, "That's a good boy."

I almost regret even seeing this fight. Now I'm just angry!

With that in mind, she silently, and as stealthily as she could, followed Hisoka to the Phase Two site.

* * *

Hey everybody!

And the end of the triple post has come to a close! Hopefully (yes, hopefully) I'll get back to my regular daily posts, but we'll see. So, once again: **I don't own Hunter x Hunter. Ok? Do we all understand that I don't own something as great and magnificent as the friendship between Killua and Gon? No? Yes? Maybe so? Meh, whatever, I suppose I'll continue.**

Thank you all for viewing my work, **as in Bound Paths, _not Hunter x Hunter as established above_.** I really hope that you enjoy this story. And, again, if you have any questions or comments, don't feel intimidated, I don't bite. Really, I don't. I mean, maybe my food, but that involves chewing. And I don't bite the hand that feeds me. Why would I bite my own hand, ya know? What was the point of–

Oh! Make sure to follow so that way you can get notifications of when I update the story. Trust me, I know from experience that it's _really_ helpful. Well, until the next chapter. Bye-bye!


	16. Vegetarian x Cooking x Pork?

"Killua, why didn't you stop Gon?!"

"I didn't even know he wasn't there! Shouldn't _you_ be keeping tabs on him?"

" _Me_!? _You_ are the one replacing me! _You_ should be watching out for him and _you_ should've noticed him not following anymore," Quino snapped at Killua, worried sick about the missing boy. Of course, she was worried about the others, but she'd swore that she would look out for the naive boy to make sure he didn't get himself in trouble.

"What? Butthurt because I'm taking your place as his friend? You're a girl. Of course he'd gravitate towards me. I'm a _boy,_ " Killua said in what Quino perceived as the snobbiest tone she'd ever heard.

"Oh you sexist– look! I'm backing off because of the fact that I know your friendship with Gon is something that would help both of you. I know you have some sort of dark past, and Gon has never had a friend the same age as him and who's also a boy. But don't you dare pour salt over the wound!" Quino shouted.

"I– Hey, Gon's back."

"Gon?" Quino said, wrought with disbelief.

However, when she looked in the direction Killua's was pointing, Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, and Primna were hanging out near a tree. Leorio was sitting, leaning against the tree, his cheek swollen.

"Gon," Killua called out.

Quino hastily approached the group, wanting to find out if everyone was okay for the most part.

"Killua, Quino!" Gon said, greeting his friends with a wave of his hand.

"I can't believe you actually got here…" Killua commented.

"Ignore the idiot. I'm glad you got here safe and sound, Gon. You too, Kurapika, Leorio," Quino said, glaring at Killua. Killua, in return, scowled and glared back.

"Uh, I just tracked Leorio's cologne," Gon said, looking torn between his two friends fighting each other.

"Tracked his scent?" Quino said, her voice betraying her disbelief in her friend's words.

"Cologne? That was how? You definitely are weird," Killua said.

"He's not weird! Gon is unique," Quino corrected, looking at Killua with disapproval.

Killua was about to retort back with a snide remark when Satotz interrupted the downhill conversation.

"Excellent work, everyone. Phase Two of the exam will occur, in the Biska Forest Park. So, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you," Satotz said, departing just as he finished. The giant doors that he was standing in front of opened, revealing a mansion of sorts.

"Will all applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?" A woman's voice called.

All of the applicants did as she told, entering the mansion's premises.

"Welcome. I'm Menchi, the Second Phase examiner," the woman sitting on the couch in front of the mansion said.

"And I'm Buhara, the other examiner," said a gigantic man behind Menchi.

Silence took over the crowd, until a loud growl emanated from Buhara's stomach.

"You must be hungry," Menchi commented, looking up at Buhara.

"I'm starving…" Buhara informed Menchi, even though she already suspected as much.

"There you have it. Phase Two will involve…"

I have a bad feeling about this…

"...cooking!"

Yep. Totally not going to pass _this_ exam. My adoptive mother was the one who did all the cooking…

Quino could hear everyone complain about the exam.

"We're here to take the Hunter Exam!"

"That's quite right," Menchi said, "your challenge for the Second Phase is to produce a dish that will satisfy our palate."

"Why do we have to cook!?"

"That's because," Menchi began, "we are Gourmet Hunters."

The crowd began to laugh and Quino felt herself getting annoyed by the ignorance of the group. Sure, Quino had no idea what a Gourmet Hunter does, but she figured that they had to be pretty tough to be examiners.

"Man, what a letdown. They're Gourmet Hunters…"

"So, Gourmet Hunters, what are we supposed to make?" Someone from the crowd asked, his intent to mock them obvious.

"Buhara," Menchi urged her partner.

"The required ingredient is pork," Buhara said.

"Pork? As in pig meat?"

Really? You don't even know what pork is? Come on, even _I_ know what pork is.

"You're free to use meat from any species of Biska Forest pigs. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork. And you only pass if we both find it delicious," Buhara said.

"And we will evaluate more than just the taste. Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking. Got it? When we've both eaten our fill, the exam will end," Menchi added.

"We get it. We get it. Let's just start," someone from the crowd said.

"Then, the exam's Second Phase begins now!" Buhara said.

The minute he announced that, the crowd ran out like a stampede, looking for their target.

X X X

"Um, Kuri–"

"No," Kuraiya said, shooting down all of Malli's hope with one word.

"But I'm no good at cooking!" Malli whined.

"Yes, you are. You just don't think you are," Kuriya said, eyeing her surroundings.

"I don't know how to cook any fancy meals for Gourmet Hunters!" Malli explained.

"Do you know how to cook pork?" Kuriya asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, I know a few recipes that come to mind…" Malli admitted.

"Then stick with what you know, and what you have," Kuriya said, trying to find any pigs.

"What if it isn't good enough?"

"Then you tried," Kuriya said bluntly.

"I still think you should cook for me," Malli said, pouting just slightly.

"Mal, you have a better chance at passing than I do," Kuriya remarked. She was getting a little exasperated with all the whining coming from Malli.

"I do? How?"

Kuriya sighed and looked back at Malli. "I don't know how to cook meat."

"That's right!" Malli yelled, causing Kuriya to sigh again. "You're a vegetarian."

"Exactly," Kuriya muttered. Yes, unfortunately for her, she didn't know how to cook meat. Of any kind.

"I know! I cook the meat while you make it look good! How about that?"

"We need to do our own plates, Mal," Kuriya insisted.

"Oh, fi– Killua!"

Kuriya closed the distance between her and Malli in a heartbeat and clasped a hand over Malli's mouth. In the distance was Killua and a blond boy.

"Not another word," Kuriya whispered harshly in Malli's ear.

Malli nodded her head as best as she could and Kuriya retracted her hand.

"I'm guessing you want to follow him, correct?"

Malli opened her mouth to say something but then immediately closed it and simply nodded in response to Kuriya's assumption.

"You may talk again, but be quiet. We wouldn't want Killua to hear us, do we?"

"No, definitely not. He'd think I'm a stalker," Malli said with a grin.

Kuriya bit back a sarcastic remark and settled for a simple nod.

"Let's go then," Malli whispered, practically dragging Kuriya by the arm. Kuriya allowed her friend to drag her, until she noticed something.

Malli stopped in her tracks when she saw a pig charge at Killua's group.

"Mal don't–"

Too late. Malli had already ran toward the pig, charging at it with reckless abandon, and leaving Kuriya behind in her in her haste.

"I'm not cut out for babysitting. Maybe I should just ask Primna to take care of her. Oh, wait, that wouldn't work. She's trying to blend in with that group," Kuriya huffed at her predicament and stalked toward the group. She hoped Malli wouldn't screw things up _too_ much.

* * *

Hey everybody! And Happy? Fourth of July!

I had a blast today. We shot up a bunch of fireworks at our backyard essentially covered with grass, moss, and trees. Totally not risky at all... (cue in sarcastic remark)

Anyway, **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**.

Also, thank you for the views peeps. I feel like I'm getting more and more casual as the days progress. Meh, if you've gotten this far in the story then I consider you viewers as regulars. Which means I can be casual. Er, but in all seriousness, thank you for taking time out of your day to read my fanfic and I hope you enjoy it. Because there would be no point to reading it if you didn't enjoy it, right?


	17. Saviors x from the x Shadows

Quino felt her end draw near. She remembered that she and her group found pigs but they were much larger than Quino anticipated. Then the stampede happened, splitting her group up. Unfortunately, she was the only one who had been separated by themselves. She had been running ever since, almost tripping on an odd branch sticking out of the ground or wet leaves that proved to be more slippery than Quino had predicted, but miraculously she had never fallen. After a few minutes of running, her body had made its exhaustion known to her. The running she had done from the First Phase was catching up to her.

I don't want to run anymore, Quino thought as her legs ached viciously. It's time I do the one thing that's never failed me before.

Rushing over to the tree in front of her, she climbed it with much struggle. So much struggle, in fact, that she wasn't sure if she could make it up there before the gigantic pig charging behind her rammed into her and crushed her body against the tree. Fortunately, she managed to get up there. She watched as the pig continued to charge straight to her. It rammed into the tree, and with muted horror, the tree Quino was perched on slowly started to descend down. Quino jumped off of it and wanted to scream from the pain that shot up her legs upon landing on the ground. Shortly after, Quino got up and ran for the hills as the pig spotted her and began charging once again.

Quino tripped mid-step, her body seizing up from fear. She saw her life flash before her eyes, knowing that the pig wasn't that far behind her. In fact, she was certain she couldn't dodge the very deadly blow. That was what scared her the most. Quino knew that she would die if she couldn't do something about it soon. But what could she do? She closed her eyes, and braced herself for the attack that would probably kill her.

A loud, deafening squeal reached Quino's ears. Then a loud thump, the ground moving just a bit by what Quino assumed was the pig's body. She opened her eyes, and stared at the sight before her. Quino stared at the pig for some time, not sure what else she could do. She was still in shock over her near-death experience.

"Quino, get up," a voice commanded from behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened as she took in the figure's identity. Primna stood there, a scowl on her lips instead of a sweet smile, annoyance and rigidness in her eyes instead of kindness and gentleness. Everything that Primna was doing was something that Quino couldn't fathom Primna looking. Ever. But here Primna was, looking much like she was part of a gang or the mafia instead of a sweet, soothing mother-figure. It would be safe to say that Quino was flabbergasted.

"I know you're in shock, but you need to get up. Now," Primna reiterated rather harshly.

Quino shakily got up, staring at Primna in disbelief.

"You need to understand something, Quino," Primna said, a serious, and dangerous, look on her face, "you won't tell anyone about this. If they ask you how you got the pig, you'll tell them that an apple hit its head when it charged into a tree. You will keep this to yourself, got it?"

Quino nodded, the only response she gave. In Quino's mind, though, she didn't know what else she could do. Primna was acting out of character. Or was Quino's suspicion on Primna pretending to be something she isn't not all paranoia?

Primna dropped the serious and deadly look and replaced it with a sweet smile. Something that made Quino feel even more confused than she already was.

"Now help me drag this pig to the exam site so you can cook it, okay?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Primna grabbed it and proceeded to go back to the site. Quino, still uncertain if what she just saw was even real, followed Primna as if she'd seen a ghost.

X X X

"Take that you pig!"

Malli jumped onto the pig's nose, kicking its eye in the process. The pig squealed in pain and shook its head, the pig's giant snout shaking the girl left and right. Even so, Malli didn't let go.

Killua and Kurapika watched the spectacle with much interest.

"Hey, that's the girl that I hung out with during the first few kilometers of the Phase One exam," Killua said. He looked amused at the scene.

"So you know her?" Kurapika asked, bewildered that he just saw a girl practically fling herself at the beast with reckless abandon.

"He does. He also knows me," a voice said from the left of them. Whipping their heads to the left, they spotted a black-haired girl.

"Kuriya, right?" Killua asked.

"Correct. Who's this with you?" Kuriya asked. She hoped it wasn't the Kurta.

"Hello. I'm Kurapika," Kurapika said.

"I see. You're probably wondering why that girl launched herself at the beast, correct?" Kuriya casually asked, cocking her head toward the girl who was beating on the giant pig.

"Actually, yes, I am," Kurapika said, watching the violet-haired girl grip onto the pig's snout again with what had to be inhuman strength.

"Well, she's rather eccentric. She's the type of person who doesn't think things through. She… is interested in Killua for reasons I cannot address. When she saw him in danger, she charged head-first at the pig, and is currently fighting it as you can see. She's extremely protective of her friends."

She's also extremely protective over things that she wishes to steal and sell. Though I doubt Mal has any plans on giving you away, Killua.

"Okay?" Killua said, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I assure you, she's simply a fool. She wishes you no harm. The fact that she's fighting so that way you wouldn't have to deal with the carnivorous pig trying to eat you should tell you just what lengths she's willing to take to make sure her friends are safe," Kuriya said, a sigh escaping her lips.

"What about you? Are you a threat?"

Kuriya looked at Kurapika, who had asked, and smirked.

Kurapika glanced at the smirk, then looked back up into her dark gray eyes. They were dark than his, by far, and he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Are you afraid I'm not on the same page as my friend?" Kuriya paused, studying Kurapika's eyes. Trying to find out if he was the Kurta Primna spoke about. "You'd be right. But I'm not interested in killing you two. Besides, I have a feeling Malli wouldn't like it if I tried to hurt you."

Kurapika and Killua looked at Kuriya with suspicion. She couldn't really blame them.

Sorry, Primna. I'm afraid I had no choice but to introduce myself. Malli blew my cover.

Kuriya heard a loud squeal, causing her to focus on the scene happening in front of her.

Malli had a triumphant look on her face, though a little crazed as it may be, and the pig had met its match, the body stiff. Kuriya could tell that the thing was dead.

"Hah! What now piggy?!" Malli yelled in triumph.

"Mal, it's dead. I doubt it will do anything else," Kuriya informed, walking toward Malli with her hands in her jacket's pockets.

Malli turned her gaze over to Kuriya, and noticed that both Kurapika and Killua were looking at her.

"Oh, um, I, that is, hi!" Malli said, suddenly feeling shy. Her cheeks became rosy, and Kuriya suddenly felt tired. Kuriya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Um, hi," Killua replied, waving his hand.

"Hello, I'm Kurapika," Kurapika introduced himself.

"Hmm? Oh, hello. I'm Malli," Malli said, suddenly calm.

"Why did you do that?" Killua asked.

"Ah, um, well, I saw the, um, pig charge at you and I, uh, that is–"

"Malli! Speak normally. You are currently getting on my nerves," Kuriya said, snapping a bit at Malli to make her stutter less.

"Kuri, I'm sorry. I just can't seem to form words when I, well, that is, I–"

"I get it. Just answer his question," Kuriya said, shaking her head at Malli's inability to form coherent sentences. In the recesses of her mind, Kuriya wondered if that's what happened to those who have a crush. She hoped she would never form feelings for another, if that was the case.

"Okay. Well, I saw you in danger. I just saw red, I guess," Malli said, kicking up some grass with a kick of her foot. She was looking down at the ground, refusing to look Killua in the eyes while she responded to his question.

"Mal, we should go get our own pork. For now, though, we'll give Killua the kill. Any objections?"

"I can get one myself," Killua said, a scowl on his face.

"I'm sure you could, but Malli broke a sweat taking down that pig for you," Kuriya said, her lips forming a smirk.

"Um, you know, if he doesn't want it–"

"Mal, we're leaving," Kuriya said, starting to walk off.

"Oh, um, okay. Uh, bye, Killua. I'll see you later, I guess," Malli said, running after Kuriya after she said her piece.

"Well, that was interesting," Kurapika said, staring off into the direction the girls had disappeared from.

Killua didn't say anything. He went toward the pig, grabbed one of its legs, and began to make his way back to the Phase Two exam site.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Well... more triple posts! Yay! And, on another note, I realize that its Saturday (for me). Well, I have some free time. Besides, as tempting as earning a trophy for quadruple posts is, I don't really want one. So, with that said, I'm going to post three chaps and call it a night.

 **I don't own Hunter x Hunter.** If I did... eh, it would probably remain the same. Too much work to even _think_ about what I would do differently.

I hope you enjoy the story so far, and maybe even looking forward for more?


	18. Racing x with x Pigs

"They must've built large, strong noses to protect their foreheads. Evolution's so cool," Quino said, absolutely fascinated about the discovery of their body structure. She was dragging a pig behind her and Gon, who was right next to her, was also dragging a pig behind him.

"Quino, how did you manage to get your pig? I hit it on the forehead with my fishing pole," Gon said with a sheepish smile.

She was caught off guard, and she didn't know what to say.

What should–

 **You will not tell anyone about this. If they ask you how you managed to get a pig, you will tell them that an apple hit its head when it charged into a tree. You will keep this to yourself, understood?**

"That's a funny story, actually," Quino began, feeling a shiver go down her spine at the memory of that frightening experience, "You see, the pig managed to trap me in front of a tree, and it was charging really fast toward me, so I kind of sidestepped out of the way just in time for the pig to charge right into the tree. Then it turned its way toward me, but just before it came to charge at me again, an apple fell and hit its head. Apparently its forehead is _really_ soft."

Gon laughed. "That is funny!"

"Hey, Gon," Quino said after a few minutes had passed, "do you know how to cook pork?"

"Not really. But I'll try," Gon said, giving his usual honest answer.

"I'm not sure if I'll pass. One of the few things my mom actually did around the house was cook. And she told me that it was the least that she could do considering I did practically everything else around the house. Sometimes I wonder who the adult was between us," Quino said with a huff.

"Oh. You must know how to do a lot of things then!" Gon commented.

"Yeah. That's a good way of looking at it," Quino said with a smile.

His smile is incredibly infectious, Quino thought. She saw that the Phase Two exam site wasn't that far from them.

It seemed Gon had the same realization, because he then said, "Last one there is a rotten egg!"

"W– oh, fine," Quino muttered as she struggled to beat Gon to the Phase Two exam site.

I hope these days last, Quino thought as she tried her best to outrun Gon with a pig slowing her down. But I still have my goal in mind. I still need to find my adoptive mother. I have a feeling that I won't be able to be with Gon and the others for long. The day I'll have to part from them... I don't even want to think about it. But...

 _"Mom, how come we don't look the same?"_

 _The 40 year old ripped her gaze away from the boiling pot and looked down at her daughter. She watched as her mom looked her up and down, as if realizing for the first time that they hardly looked anything alike._

 _"Honey, that's because I'm not your real mother," her mom admitted, glancing back at the boiling pot with macaroni in it._

 _"Right," the daughter muttered._

 _"Even so, we're thicker than blood, you and I. I found you when you were just a babe, left on the dirty floor. Your parents, or parent, at least had the decency to clothe you in a cloth. I've seen many orphans, but you were different. You called out to me. I think... I think it was love at first sight."_

 _"Love at first sight? That's ridiculous. That doesn't exist," the daughter retorted, taking amusement in her mother's silly ramblings._

 _"One day, you'll see. You'll find someone. Someone you want to support and cherish no matter what they get into or think of you. And I know it may seem like I'm selfish, always making you do everything for me. But... know that I love you. No matter– whatever happens, I love you. Remember that wherever you go, okay? Remember that someone out there loved, loves, and will love you for however long you breathe. Nay, even in death. I'll love you no matter what."_

 _"Why... are you saying this suddenly? Is there something I don't know that you're not telling me?"_

 _"Me? Keep a secret? Haha, this old lady is a lot of things, but secretive isn't one of them," her mom said, giving a big smile filled with wrinkles and crow's feet._

 _The daughter couldn't help but feel like, for once, she was hiding something._

* * *

Hey everybody!

The second chapter of the second triple post! Oh, and sorry for the shorter chapter. Considering that I'll post another chapter, though, I think I'll let it slide.

Essentially, all the disclaimers apply to this chapter too.

Anyway, enjoy!


	19. Cooking x (&) Panic x Attacks

Primna looked around at everyone cooking their pork.

I got a feeling that everyone here except a few'll fail, Primna thought as she scanned her competition.

She glanced over at Kuriya, who had already finished cooking her pork and proceeded to cut it up into thick, but reasonable, slices.

Kuriya's might be a _little_ undercooked. Though considering she's a vegetarian and hasn't had much experience cooking meat, it would make sense that she wouldn't really know when meat is thoroughly cooked.

Primna examined her own meat, taking notice of its readiness.

That looks about right. Alright, time to make this look presentable.

She took the meat away from the fire and set the meat on the counter, pondering on how she would go about impressing the Gourmet Hunters.

I'll do chunks. Not too large, but not too small. Too large and it will look big. When I first started babysitting, some of the kids I had babysat always complained about how the meat was too large. Of course, they weren't cooked well either, but that's beside the point. Then I started making them too small. The kids complained that they were _still_ hungry even though it was the same portion as the big chunks. Eventually, I realized that kids automatically gauge the portions and however small or big determined if the child had 'eaten' enough.

Primna spotted the girl with violet hair and watched as she garnished her pork, but it looked messy. However, Primna noted that the girl had cooked the pork perfectly.

 _I'm_ not even that good, Primna thought with amusement and a hint of begrudging respect.

When she was done cutting up her meat, Primna inspected the bowl of greens right next to the cutting board.

Hmm, maybe if I surround the chunks with greens it'll look better? Or perhaps I should stick to what I know and simply have one side salad and the other pork? I think I'll just do the usual.

Deciding on how to arrange the plate, Primna put the pork on one side and dumped the salad onto the other side.

Time to make the _salad_ look a bit more presentable than a clump of green leaves, Primna snickered.

Using her hands, Primna mixed the salad. When she was satisfied with its appearance, she stopped and backed away from her creation.

Looks good, Primna thought as she checked out her dish.

"Is this supposed to be a kiddy meal?!"

Primna looked where Menchi and Buhara sat and realized that Leorio had presented his dish. The pig was cooked, but it was whole, and a flag was situated on top of the pig, its flag waving in the air.

Original, but definitely not enough to pass the test, Primna thought with a giggle.

She watched as Gon went up, this time the pig surrounded by pink flowers and a pink flower crown on it. It also had pink bows tied on the pig's ears and tail. The pig, unfortunately, was still cooked whole.

Cute, but not what the examiner would have in mind, Primna thought.

"It's basically the same thing!" Sure enough, Menchi failed him.

Kurapika came next.

Well, his is more presentable. At least it isn't a whole pig.

"Yuck! Appearance is important, but only if it also tastes good. You're no better than #403!"

Ouch. I can tell from here that Kurapika's depressed from the comparison, Primna thought. She couldn't help the little giggle that had slipped past her lips at the thought.

Primna watched as Kuriya went up.

Let's see what Menchi thinks about her dish.

The examiner took a close look at Kuriya's dish, and Primna examined the dish as well.

Slices of pork surrounded the edges of the dish, salad in the middle of it. Interesting choice, Kuriya. Though you've made the salad look like the main dish…

"It's good," Menchi said after taking a bite of the pork. "...But the pork is supposed to be the accented. The way you have it on the dish makes it seem that the _salad_ is the focal point. Not only that, but the meat was a little undercooked," Menchi stated.

Is she going to pass Kuriya, or fail her?

"Oh. You're right. I'm sorry, I never eat meat, so I never bothered to know how to cook it. This is my first time cooking meat, actually," Kuriya admitted.

Menchi eyed her, a contemplative look in her eyes.

She's determining whether to give her a break since she's a vegetarian, isn't she? Kuriya definitely knows how to make herself look better, Primna thought with a smirk.

Primna felt eyes on her, and wiped the smirk off her face immediately. She inconspicuously glanced around to spot who was staring at her and saw that Quino was.

Quino already went? Don't see her dish. Maybe she failed? Why is she staring at me? Creepy.

Quino looked away, her gaze fixed where Menchi and Buhara sat.

Primna looked at Kuriya, realizing that she had just missed if she had failed or passed her. The crowd looked angry, but she couldn't tell if it was because they passed her knowing that she's a vegetarian and that it was her first time cooking meat, or if they're angry at the examiners for failing somebody who had made something taste good and look good but had failed due to not making pork look like the main piece.

"Better get this over with," Primna muttered to herself.

Stalking toward the examiners with her dish, she put it on the table. She saw Buhara's eyes light up, the joy of more food to eat shining from within him. Menchi looked impressed, but didn't say anything.

"Hmm," Menchi muttered, taking a piece with her fork. She tasted a piece of pork, her eyes closed and face showing she was analyzing it. A few seconds of silence passed, but Primna noticed that the air was thick with tension and the crowd behind her was angry. "I wasn't expecting the pork cut into chunks of meat, but I like it. The meat is cooked just right, and it tastes amazing as a result. Also, the salad idea you have is similar to #158 but there's a smaller portion of salad and it's to the side, making the pork seem like the main piece of this dish. Finally someone does it right. You pass," Menchi said, a light smile flitting upon her face.

I'm the first one to pass, I think. And here I thought Kuriya would have passed. Menchi seems to be a little too critical. After all, most of these people are fighters. The only reason why I'm even good at cooking is because I had to do a lot of that during my time as a babysitter.

When Primna went back to her cooking table, she felt a lot of angry eyes staring at her.

"Way to go, Primna!" Gon said, rushing to her side.

"I must say, that dish was appetizing," Kurapika said, obviously impressed with what Primna had cooked.

"I wanted some," Leorio said with a big smile.

This attention… it almost hurts how much they're complimenting me.

"Ah, well, I used to mainly do babysitting where I come from. I had to learn how to cook, clean, and even change diapers. It was hard, and at times stressful, but it was worth it," Primna said, a genuine smile on her face.

"That was so much food, I'm stuffed!" Buhara announced.

"Yeah, I'm stuffed, too," Menchi said, "therefore, no one else passes. Only two people pass."

Two? So someone else passed, too.

The crowd became enraged. Various voices arose, questions and disbelief the main course of the disarray.

The crowd silenced when a big crash resounded.

"I won't accept it…"

Primna looked toward the direction of the voice and saw someone had crushed their cooking table with a fist in a fit of rage.

"I absolutely refuse to accept this!" The same person yelled.

"In the end," Menchi began, "you've still failed."

"Stop screwing around! You asked for pork, so we risked our lives to–"

"I said," Menchi started, "to prepare the pork in a manner we both found delicious… almost none of you made anything remotely delicious. Almost all of you did pretty much the same thing. There was no effort made… just when I thought someone actually tried, they only changed the appearance. Almost no one attempted to emphasize the flavor. I'm positive that almost none of you took cooking seriously!"

"Pork dishes are all the same…" someone muttered.

Menchi vaulted off the couch and practically flew to the person who muttered that comment. She grabbed them by the scruff of their neck and said, "Just say that once more. Any more crap from you, and I'll shove my arm up your ass and knock your teeth out! Don't you mess with me! I don't want any lip from a bunch of amateurs who can't even roast a pig! Hey! What did you just say? Why don't you repeat it to my face?!"

Just as quickly as she got there, she went back to relaxing on her couch with inhuman speed. "In other words, you people don't have the guts to try anything new."

"Shut up!" Someone from the crowd said, pointing at Menchi. "I'm not trying to become a cook or a gourmet… I want to be a Hunter!"

The crowd cheered upon the last bit.

"My goal is to become a Black List Hunter. I refuse to let a mere Gourmet Hunter decide my fate!"

"Too bad you got stuck with a mere Gourmet Hunter as an examiner… better luck next year?" Menchi said, infuriating the crowd even more.

"Why, you… don't mock me!" WIth that the guy who broke his cooking table charged, fist ready to meet its target. Before he could get close to Menchi, Buhara whacked him away like a fly, sending him flying.

"Buhara, don't interfere." Menchi said.

"Well… if I hadn't intervened, you'd have killed him, right?" Buhara asked, turning his gaze towards Menchi.

"Probably," Menchi responded. "Let me clarify this… we frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts, searching for ingredients. Every Hunter knows some form of martial art. You lack focus and the willingness to alone disqualifies you from becoming Hunters!"

A voice from above said, "That said, it would be excessive to fail every single applicant."

Primna looked up, seeing a big blimp with the Hunters Association's symbol on it. Then a man came down, causing dirt to fly up and a crater to form. When the dust settled, he was perfectly intact.

Who– wait. This old man seems familiar…

"The Chairman of the Selection Committee. He's in charge of the Hunter Exam… Chairman Netero," Menchi said.

Netero? Chairman Netero? That sounds familiar…

 **Primna, if he tells you to do or stop doing something, then you better do or stop doing it. Understood?**

"Well, I work behind the scenes. I only take action when there's an issue, like now," Chairman Netero said.

 **Grow up and become strong. I'll be waiting, Primrose.**

"You failed all of the applicants because you disapproved of their reluctance to try new things?" Chairman Netero analyzed.

"No, sir," Menchi admitted with a sigh, "I lost my cool when one of the candidates insulted Gourmet Hunters. And I made the exam harder than necessary."

"In other words, you're aware that this exam was unacceptable," Chairman Netero stated.

 **So you're aware that what you've done is unacceptable?**

"When cooking is involved, I lose control. I'm unqualified to be an examiner. I will resign as examiner, so please redo the Second Phase!"

"But it would be difficult to find another examiner on such short notice."

 **But I can't call him on such short notice.**

Primna clutched her head, a severe headache forming.

"Are you okay?"

She looked to her left and saw Quino looking up at her. Primna only nodded, too much in pain to form any words. Suddenly there was a lot of noise all around her, and it made the headache grow worse.

"...na...co...on…"

"Huh?" Primna sighed, trying her best to decipher what was said.

"...come on," a voice said from her left. She felt a tug, but she didn't know what or who was tugging her. For once, she decided to trust it, knowing she was too weak to fight it even if it threatened her life.

"Primna," a voice said from her right. She looked toward her right and saw a familiar face.

"Leorio? What...happening–"

"Don't talk, just relax. Breathe in," Leorio commanded.

Primna did as he told her.

"Now breathe out."

She breathed out, the headache lessening.

"Breathe in. Breathe out."

Eventually, Primna's headache went away completely.

"What happened?" Primna asked, out of breath.

"You had a panic attack."

A panic attack? That's odd, Primna thought. I've never had panic attacks.

"We're going to Mt. Split-in-Half to retake our exam. But you don't have to since you already passed," Kurapika said.

"So you just rest," Leorio said with a smile.

When they reached Mt. Split-in-Half, Primna didn't follow them. She stayed sitting on the floor and she closed her eyes, willing herself to go to sleep.

* * *

Hey everybody!

That ends the triple post! And oh boy, are things getting interesting. I don't really know if I illustrated what a panic attack is like. Over anything, I try to aim for some semblance of realism in a fanfiction. Which... is interesting to try to do.

Anyway, **I don't own Hunter x Hunter** , I hope you enjoy the fanfic, and you'll have to wait for tomorrow for more! See ya peeps.


	20. Ravines x Exhilaration x (&) Eggs

"Now, everyone... " Menchi started.

Malli was looking down the mountain's crevice, looking absolutely thrilled at the sight of the steep drop. It reminded her of her time as an acrobat.

"Look down there," Menchi said, pointing at the eggs hanging by a thin string of silk, "Down there is a Spider Eagle's web."

A draft came rushing up, ruffling everyone's hair and clothes.

"Look below the web. Those are Spider Eagle eggs," Menchi said.

"Spider Eagles build their webs in deep ravines, to protect their eggs from predators. This makes their eggs one of the most difficult ingredients to obtain. The eggs are also known as dream eggs," stated Chairman Netero.

"W-wait a minute… you don't mean we…" someone stuttered.

"I sure do," Menchi said, jumping from the ground and diving head first down the crevice of Mt. Split-in-Half. She grabbed onto the Spider Eagle's Web, looking down at the deep ravine below.

Malli watched in fascination as Menchi let go of the Spider Eagle's web, grabbing an egg in the process. Then Menchi came back up with a draft, landing safely back on the ground. Malli noted that she landed with the grace of a cat. She wondered if that was because of the extensive training Menchi had gone through or if it was due to a past job that made her so lithe and graceful.

"This ravine has updrafts that help the hatched chicks fly up to the web," Chairman Netero explained.

"There," Menchi said, going over to the bowl that contained boiling water, "Now I just need to boil the egg."

"Y-you must be joking. No reasonable person would jump down there…"

"Speak for yourself!" Malli yelled, jumping off of the safety of land and entering the danger of the deep abyss below. Clutching onto the web, she felt thrilled over the prospect of dangling who knows how many feet in the air. It was so reminiscent of her days in the circus that she had trouble focusing on the current situation. Soon enough, a lot of others followed her example.

Of course with so many people, the web started to loosen its hold on the sides of the crevice. However, this didn't scare Malli in the least. If anything, it just made her more excited.

"Damn, I can't wait for an updraft!" Someone said, letting go of the web and grabbing a Spider Eagle Egg.

Fool, Malli thought with finality. She knew that the man was dead; he hadn't waited long enough for the updraft to come and Malli was aware that he would certainly die from the fall. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on feeling the updraft. She knew it was only a matter of time before she felt it.

Then she felt it. Malli let go, just before the web broke its hold on the sides of the crevice and just before somebody yelled, "Now!". She, along with the others brave enough to jump down, were blown up with the updraft, each of them holding a Spider Eagle egg.

When all of the eggs were boiled, Malli feasted on the hardboiled egg. Immediately she wanted to cry because of how good it was.

This is the best thing I've ever eaten! They weren't kidding when they started calling this a dream egg. Maybe I should steal more in the future…

"Speaking of stealing," Malli muttered under her breath, glancing at Killua.

This dream egg may be worth a fortune, but he's worth… no, he's priceless. There's no price that could possibly buy him from me…

She glanced over to the guy who wouldn't stop shaking, creaking, or whatever in god's name he was doing. Her eyes narrowed, noticing that his eyes were also on Killua.

I don't know why, but something feels off about that guy. I definitely don't like the way he's looking at Killua. Whatever, I won't let him get close to Killua.

Malli looked back to Killua and found him, his black-haired friend, and a girl with pure white hair that contrasted greatly with her dark skin talking to each other. Killua and the black-haired kid were talking animatedly while the white-haired girl seemed to just be tagging along. The girl looked deep in thought.

Now that I think about it, that girl's complexion is quite interesting too. Her hair shines even more than Killua does in the sun. Her eyes... they're red. Not quite blood red, but definitely dark. They kind of remind me of rubies. But darker. Her skin is dark. It's not completely black, but it definitely is on the darker side. On top of all this, she's also got a fair amount of muscle. Not overly muscular but enough to show that she definitely has had a physically extensive life. That girl has a different kind of beauty. While Killua is more pure and light, that girl is more... exotic. That's the word; she's more of an exotic beauty. In fact, she reminds me of those stories that Florence used to tell me about. What were they called again? Oh, right! Amazons. She kind of looks exotic and muscular enough to be a fairly young Amazon. I wonder if they exist.

Malli glanced at the smiles on the boys' faces and then stared at the girl's impassive one.

She's really in deep thought. Is she a friend of Killua's? Maybe. Killua doesn't seem to be as close to her as he does with that black-haired kid, Malli inspected.

She watched as all three of them walked back into the airship, along with a variety of other people. That's when Malli realized something.

Wait! I need to get on that airship too!

Malli sprinted to the airship, not wanting to be left behind. She needed to be in close proximity to Killua after all. Of course, what she failed to realize was that the airship wasn't planning on leaving anyone who had passed behind.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So... I know what you're thinking. Just kidding, I don't. But I do know what I'm thinking. Yes, I'm aware I'm _supposed_ to post every day. I'm also aware that I don't do that. However, I think I'm going to stick by this schedule because it gives me motivation to write everyday. Well, more like edit since all of this has already been written. But you get the point. If I did, say, every other day, I'd most likely procrastinate. And as crazy as this sounds, I actually have been more busy.

Oh, and on that note, I'm going to be flying to see some of my family in California! Yay! So, that'll be on Sunday. You may be asking: Does that mean you won't post on that day? To answer your question: I might. It's only about a 5 hour flight (It's nonstop. I like it like that.). What will I do while I'm stuck up in the air? I have no clue. I'll figure it out. Probably end up listening to music on my phone and reading intermittently. I also have no idea where I'm going to be seated since I didn't pay for that. I understand if you are wanting family to seat close to each other, but one person? Yeah, seat me wherever. My motto for my entire life has always been: You do you and I'll do me and hopefully we'll get along nicely. I (mostly) stick by that motto still.

Anyway, with that all said, **I don't own Hunter x Hunter. It's crazy to even assume I do. Also, I should go back to the first few chapters and make the disclaimers in there too.**

Well, sorry for that wall of text. Probably isn't as bad as I think it is. Ah, well, enjoy the story and review at your heart's content. Bye peeps!


	21. Tension x Discussions x (&) Alliances

"Allow me to introduce myself to the remaining applicants…"

Quino looked around the room. The silence only made the tension in the room even worse. In fact, it was so bad that she had a hard time staying still. Quino had tried her hardest to remain inconspicuous as she moved her foot around, careful to be slow so as not to alert anyone or bump into somebody through her motions. Fortunately, it seems that Leorio and Gon have not noticed this yet. Quino had a feeling that Killua and Kurapika knew but weren't going to mention it.

"I am Netero, Chairman of this year's Hunter Exam Selection Committee," the old man said.

"I am his secretary, Beans," the same green blob from before the Phase One exam said. He was positioned right beside the Chairman.

"Originally, I'd planned to make my appearance during the exam's final phase, but as I'm already here…"

Of course there's a dramatic pause. I bet this guy's actually a sadist. It just would seem fitting, Quino thought as she nibbled on her lip. She would hate to admit it, but she was feeling a little nervous.

"I'm loving this tension in the air!"

Called it, Quino mentally shouted. Of course, she didn't want to say that out loud and cause a lot of eyes to steer toward her.

"So I think I'll stick around for the rest of the trip."

"We are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning, at 8 AM. You'll find dinner waiting in the dining hall. You are also welcome to get some rest. In other words, you're free to do as you please until you are contacted," Beans explained.

"Okay, Gon! Let's explore the airship!"

I would butt in and say I want to go with them, but I'm worried about Primna. Also, I want answers from her. Specifically on why she has been lying to us.

"How can they have so much energy? I'm hitting the sack, but after I check up on Primna," Leorio said.

"I'll go with you," Quino said, catching Kurapika by surprise.

"You don't want to go with Gon and Killua?"

Quino shook her head. "As much as I want to, I'm actually quite tired myself. Besides, I am a bit worried about Primna."

Kurapika smiled and said, "I understand. I'm going to follow you guys, if you don't mind. I'm ready to retire myself. However, I do have one concern…"

"A concern?" Quino asked.

"How many more phases are there?" Kurapika asked.

"Oh… they've never mentioned that, have they?" Leorio muttered.

"No, they haven't," Quino muttered in response.

"On average, there are five to six phases," a voice from behind them said. Quino, as well as Leorio and Kurapika, turned around and saw Tonpa.

"Which means we still have three or four to go…" Leorio said.

"All the more reason to rest now," Kurapika commented.

"But you should be careful. The secretary only told us when we'll arrive at our destination. It's possible that the third exam could take place on this airship itself. And it doesn't necessarily mean we'll be contacted at 8 AM," Tonpa said.

"Huh? Are you serious?" Leorio asked.

"I'm sure he's just trying to shake us up," Quino said with a glare sent toward Tonpa.

"That does make sense, though…"

"You're going to believe him!?" Quino practically yelled, looking at Kurapika in disbelief.

"I'm only trying to help. You never know, you might just wake up to discover that the exam has already ended. If you plan to make it to the next phase, don't let yourself relax on this airship."

"Hah, as if," Quino spat.

"Quino, no need to be so hostile. This is sound advice," Kurapika said.

"Advice that he wants to use to make us not get a wink of sleep so we'll fail when the exam actually happens," Quino said, fire in her eyes. She turned her attention towards Tonpa once more and said, "You might fool them, but you won't fool me for a second."

"Quino, settle down. I'm sorry Tonpa, thanks for the advice," Leorio said, turning his back to Tonpa.

"We shall bear that in mind," Kurapika said, grabbing ahold of one of Quino's arms and proceeding to drag her away from Tonpa.

"Come on, Kurapika, let go. Let me at him and I'll make sure he'll never use that vile tongue to crush rookies ever again!"

"Quino, come on. We'll talk about this when we get to a room," Kurapika said.

Quino huffed. "Fine."

They eventually found their room.

"Quino, Kurapika, I'm going to go grab Primna and bring her in here," Leorio said.

"Got it," Kurapika responded. The minute the door closed was the minute Quino opened her mouth to begin her piece.

"Kurapika, he was trying to trick us. There would be no reason that the exam would be on this airship because–"

"I know, Quino. The likelihood of the exam happening on this airship is slim. I was aware that he was trying to trick us," Kurapika said, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Oh. Now I feel kind of stupid," Quino said with a blush on her face.

"You were simply trying to protect your friends. That's admirable," Kurapika stated, sitting down on the floor. He patted the floor next to him, signaling Quino to sit there. She did as she was told and sat there, waiting for Kurapika to say something.

"Quino, why are you taking the Hunter Exam?"

"Huh?" Quino said, the question having caught her off guard.

"Why are you taking the Hunter Exam?" Kurapika asked again.

"I don't know. I got on the ship without realizing where it was going. For three months I've been looking for my adoptive mother. I kept ship hopping, as I like to call it. Going from one ship to the next, rationing as much as I could; I only had one goal in mind. But now things are complicated. Now there are other people, people that I've gotten close to, and I don't know what to do anymore. Really, I should've just withdrawn while I had the chance. I can't even think about quitting now," Quino said. She stared at the floor, unable to look Kurapika in the eye.

"There is a certain type of Hunter that locate lost people."

Quino shot her head up, looking Kurapika in the eyes.

"Really? There are Hunters who find missing people?"

"Yes. They're called Lost Hunters. These types of Hunters take up jobs finding missing people, along with other things," Kurapika said, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Maybe I should become a Lost Hunter, then. That way no one else will have to resort to the trouble I had to go through!"

Just when things looked down, something good came along and made things better, Quino thought.

The door opened, causing Quino and Kurapika to turn their attention to Leorio and a conscious Primna.

"Hello. I'm sorry for all the worry I've caused," Primna said with a gentle smile.

"I-I wasn't concerned!" Quino retorted, crossing her arms and huffing.

"You don't have to feel embarrassed for caring about someone. It's healthy to let your emotions out. Ah, speaking of emotions, Quino, I need to talk to you. It's a girl thing, though, so I'm afraid I'll have to talk to her in private," Primna said, glancing between Leorio and Kurapika.

"No, sure, you can talk to her. Just don't push yourself," Leorio said.

"Go on. I won't stop you," Kurapika stated.

"Thank you. Come on, Quino, let's take a walk and talk, shall we?"

Quino, a little confused and suspicious, got up from the floor and exited the room with Primna.

"So, um, what did you want to talk about?" Quino asked as they walked down the hall and away from their room.

"I wanted to talk about the Second Phase exam. Specifically, the pig incident," Primna said, all the usual sweetness gone from her.

That was quick, Quino thought.

"Oh. Well, what did you want to talk about?"

"I'm having a girls meeting with a friend of mine. I invited you," Primna stated.

"Let me guess. I don't have a choice, do I?" Quino asked, shooting Primna an impassive look.

"No, not really. Don't worry, you're not in trouble. It's just business, really. She and I were thinking about forming an alliance of sorts. Of course, I'll tell her that under no circumstances is she allowed to harm the group we're currently in."

"Why do you want me in on this alliance?" Quino asked, slowly realizing that she might be walking into something that she shouldn't be a part of.

"Because you witnessed something that you shouldn't have. Though, to be honest, it was my mistake. I saw a child in need, and I acted before I thought through the situation. That wasn't your fault at all. However, that doesn't exempt you. Don't worry, she just wants to cover all her grounds. If this makes it any better, there will be a girl the same age as you in the alliance," Primna said, adding the last bit in an attempt to reassure Quino.

"This whole alliance thing better not become some sort of weird cult," Quino said.

"Of course not. You forget that this is for the duration of the Hunters Exam. After that, the alliance will be no more," Primna said.

"Oh, well, okay then," Quino muttered.

They eventually made it to the room they were to meet the other girls in. When they went inside, Primna shut the door behind them.

"I've brought the girl here, Kuriya," Primna stated.

"Good. She doesn't seem very useful, though," the black-haired girl concluded, making Quino a bit irritated by the girl's offhanded remark.

"She has her moments. Now, are you ready to introduce the girl by your side?" Primna asked, glancing toward the girl that Kuriya had been sticking close to for most of the Hunter Exam.

"Oh, right! I'm Malli. Nice to meet ya," Malli said, waving to both Primna and Quino.

"Likewise," Primna said. After a few seconds she nudged Quino lightly.

Getting the hint, Quino said, "I'm Quino. So what's the goal of this alliance, exactly?"

Kuriya sighed. "Some of my leeches had indicated that the next exam site is at Trick Tower. It's a prison, basically. At the top of Trick Tower, which is where we'll be dropped off at, there will be loose tiles on the ground. These tiles lead to various paths, though they all lead to the same place, which is our goal to reach. A few of my leeches have discovered that there is a series of loose tiles that start at the same place. Only one of them managed to sneak their way into the room and I got a tiny glimpse of the inside before it was dealt with. With what I could see, it has to do with majority rules. There are two sets of this type. We will take one of them, so that way we may work together and all pass to the next exam."

"Leeches?" Quino asked, her brows furrowed.

Primna could see Quino's demand for an answer in her eyes. "It's one of her Nen abilities."

"Nen?" Quino asked, even more confused than before.

"She doesn't know what Nen is? She's a liability," Kuriya said, staring down Quino.

Quino didn't like how Kuriya was eyeing her.

"That may be true, but she's already been exposed to too much of our plans. You don't have a choice," Primna said.

Kuriya nodded. "You're right. We'll just have to make sure we cover her slack."

"Hey, wa–"

Quino was nudged in the rib before she could voice her complaint. Getting the message, she let the complaint die before it could come out. She knew that was Primna telling her to not talk back to Kuriya.

"Well, I suppose you're dismissed. All three of you need to come near me when we reach the top of Trick Tower, understood?"

"Of course, do so as inconspicuous as possible, right?"

Kuriya nodded in response to Primna's question.

All four of the girls walked out of the room.

"Quino, there might be some food left at the dining hall. You should eat and get ready for the next exam," Primna advised before walking off to do her own thing.

Quino huffed, but didn't make a comment. She debated whether to go to the dining hall, until she realized that she had no idea where that was. After having that realization, she decided to walk back to the room that Leorio and Kurapika were in.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So, I'm going to go ahead and post four chapters (this one is the first one). As I looked back on the original writing that I've done for this fanfiction today, I've realized that I didn't add in a scene I was going to do in the future. I'll discuss it more in the last chapter I post.

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**. Now that that's all cleared up, I hope you enjoy the story. Review whenever you want, and make sure to follow so you'll know when I've updated. Bye peeps!


	22. Diamond x Eavesdropping x (&) Confidence

"Hmm, that chef may not have noticed, but I definitely saw that beautiful diamond necklace in his pocket. But the question is if its real. It's likely not real diamonds, but you never know until you steal it for yourself. Man, I could've gotten a thousand by now. But no, I'm stuck in this stupid Hunters Exam. If only–"

"I was wondering…"

Huh? Malli thought as she stopped in her tracks and gave a quick glance around the room. She didn't see anybody…

"Where are your mom and dad?"

Going toward the direction of the voice, Malli spotted two children looking out the window.

That's Killua and his friend, Gon, I think. Or was it Gom? Gnome? Nom? Ooh, I'm feeling a little hungry now.

"Hmm… they're alive. Probably," Killua said.

It wouldn't be terrible of me to overhear this, right?

"What do they do?"

Malli found herself very curious, and she was thrilled to find out more about Killua.

"They're assassins."

And that comes from left field…

"Huh? Both of them?"

"That's your first reaction?" Killua asked, disbelief in his voice.

How else are you supposed to react? I'd probably say something along those lines. I think.

Killua was laughing, and Malli had to clasp her mouth not to make a gleeful squeal at the pleasant sound.

"You really are a riot!" Killua said after he had ended his bout of laughter.

"Huh?"

"You're the first person who's ever responded seriously," Killua said. They were now sitting on a bench.

Well, you said it like you were serious, so it's only right to respond in kind, right? Eh, heck if I know.

"Well, you're telling the truth, right?" Gon asked.

"What makes you think that?" Killua rebutted.

"It's just a hunch," Gon said.

A hunch, huh? Killua's friend is an interesting kid. No wonder Dad is interested in killing him so much.

"That's weird…" Killua started, letting the sentence drift to a pause.

What's weird?

"People only like me because they can't ever tell whether I'm serious or not," Killua finished.

Wow, that's really shallow. Malli frowned at the thought.

"I'm from a family of assassins. So they're all assassins. And my family has really high hopes for me… but I can't stand it. Who wants to have their life planned out for them?" Killua said, finally answering Gon's question and asking his own to no one in particular.

I can relate. To the whole 'life planned out for them' thing. My dad wanted me to stay in that circus forever…

"When I told them I wanted to decide my own future, they all snapped! My mother had tears streaming down her face, as she told me I have the potential to be a top assassin. Horrible parents, right?"

Hah, your mother sounds like a crazy lady. Not even wanting you to do what you want. That's awfully similar with my dad. Luckily he hasn't thrown a fit, or literally thrown be back to the circus. Of course, he may be a bit preoccupied with keeping himself in check, and not causing a scene.

"It's natural their kid would go bad. We ended up fighting. So I stabbed my mother in the face, my brother in the side, and ran away from home," Killua said nonchalantly.

So you literally got into a fight. My dad and I would 'spar' all the time, though it was more like a game of cat and mouse. I'd always get beat up in the end, until I developed my Bubble Gum Gun. Of course, that edge didn't last long 'cause then my dad would use _his_ Nen. No matter what, though, I don't think I could ever hurt my dad too much. Definitely not stab him. Malli nodded her head, as if to enforce her agreement on her morals.

"I'm sure they're out for blood now, but if they find me, I'll send them packing. When I become a Hunter, I'll start by capturing my family. I'm sure they're worth some hefty bounties…"

Ooh, really? Man, I wanna join in on that. Split it, maybe? Ah, but I better not say anything, otherwise he'll know I've been eavesdropping. Wouldn't Killua to think I'm untrustworthy, or a stalker. Maybe I should leave...

She thought about this for a few seconds before deciding that she should leave. Just as Malli was about to leave though, she felt a sudden tremendous amount of killing intent.

What the…

"Something wrong?"

Malli looked at Chairman Netero's approaching form. She assessed the situation, wondering whether he was actually going to attempt to kill the boys or not. Malli had heard that the Chairman could be quite unpredictable. However, she also knew that he was more likely to want to play a game with the two boys than kill them. Trusting in Chairman Netero's rumored playful demeanor, Malli took the opportunity to stalk away without being noticed by the boys.

However, when she turned the corner and spotted her dad leaning against the wall, she wondered if she should've stayed.

No, they could have found out about me. But now I have to deal with Dad of all people. What do I do? Do I say something? Or maybe I should just keep quiet and pretend he's not there?

Deciding to try not to draw his attention to herself, she continued down the hall. She had almost passed him when she felt the slightest of Nen activating. Malli jumped back, narrowly dodging the card that flew in front of her. It was now lodged into the opposite wall. Gauging where it was positioned, Malli noted that the card could have decapitated her.

"Yes?" Malli asked, trying to sound confident and not a quivering mess.

Hisoka opened his eyes and stared into hers. As the seconds rolled by, Malli was starting to second guess her life decisions. She wasn't sure if she had did a bad thing. After all, she couldn't even discern any emotion in his eyes. It was like he was looking at her with a blank expression, which was something that Malli thought him incapable of. But now that he was giving her such a blank stare, Malli felt that that was the most terrifying version of Hisoka. A homicidal, crazed Hisoka she could deal with: she's dealt with him in that state several times and has miraculously lived to tell the tale. Even a mischievous, trickster Hisoka she could handle. But a silent and calm Hisoka? She had no idea what to do right now.

"Hmm. It's rude to ignore someone," he muttered.

Malli felt a shiver go down her spine. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what state you were in. I know you'd regret it if you accidentally injured me."

Hisoka watched her a bit more before he closed his eyes and smiled. "You're growing stronger. That's good."

"Growing stronger?" Malli asked, puzzled on his sudden happy mood.

"You managed to meet my stare without becoming a quivering mess," Hisoka muttered, still staring straight into her eyes.

Malli sighed. "Oh. I guess this whole Hunter Exam thing is making me a bit stronger."

"You've been eyeing that boy a lot," Hisoka said.

Try as she might, she couldn't fully hide the fact that she had panicked at the mention of 'that boy'.

"Does he mean something to you? I thought you were married to treasures," Hisoka said.

"...He is a treasure," Malli muttered, not sure what else she could say. She was fully aware she could lie, but Hisoka would be able to see through it. He's done so many times before.

"Is he now? Even though he's an assassin? Even though he could easily overpower you as you are right now and kill you? He wouldn't bat an eyelash if you died," Hisoka said, a warning hidden in his words.

"That's probably true," Malli said, a small smile making its way onto her lips.

"Then why? Why are you so infatuated with him?"

Malli analyzed her dad's face carefully. She couldn't tell if he was concerned or jealous.

It could be both, Malli mused.

"Love's strange. I'm not sure why either, I'll be honest. But I can't stop it. And, Dad, if you try to get in the way, if you hunt him down, I'll personally deal with you. It'll be our last fight, because one of us would have to die," Malli said. Even though she knew she was shaking just a little bit, she stood tall with her eyes meeting his nearly identical ones.

"You're threatening me? My, you've certainly grown," Hisoka growled out.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to see what else there is to steal. I saw a diamond necklace earlier, but I wasn't sure if it was real or not," Malli said, starting to walk down the hall with newfound confidence. This time, he didn't stop her.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Is it bothersome to write A/N (author notes) every chapter like this? I know I didn't do this for the first few chapters, but does this seem a little excessive?

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**.

Well, anyway, bye-bye peeps and enjoy your day!


	23. Phone x Call x (&) Spiders

Kuriya looked down at her phone with a look of disdain. It rang and rang, and rang and rang. She wanted to throw it away, but she had some contacts in there that were vital to her.

I don't want to answer it, but everyone in the room is practically glaring holes into me. Oh well, I guess I could step out and say hi to the old man.

Pressing the call button, Kuriya put the phone to her ear.

"Kuriya, I've done some thinking," the person on the other line, her father, had said.

Well, let's see what you've decided, Father, Kuriya thought with a frown as she exited the room. She looked out at all the city lights, the sight bringing a strange comfort to her. As a little girl, she had always liked the lights that illuminated the night sky in the city. It could be because of her own city of origin being unlike most cities. Meteor City wasn't nearly as beautiful as the rest of the cities in the world.

"So, what's your choice?"

"Both you and the Phantom Troupe are my family. It just makes things complicated to not have you join the Phantom Troupe. But before I tell you what my final decision is, I have something important to tell you."

"What is it?" Kuriya asked, feeling a bit impatient. She wanted to know before she got her hopes up. Her father, unfortunately, had a bad habit of withholding information until the last minute. In hindsight, that one annoying habit was probably why Kuriya developed her Nen to be the way it was in the first place. She never liked it when she wasn't in the know.

"You need to create distance between Malli and yourself, Kuriya. I'm not talking as your father, but as the leader of the Phantom Troupe. The magician is unpredictable, and I wouldn't be surprised if he used his daughter to get to you, and as a result, to get to me. I know that he's part of the Phantom Troupe, but he isn't the most trustworthy. And, at times, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,"her father warned.

"Hah, that's your concern. Hisoka wouldn't cause a scene in the Hunter Exam, at least not anything that would involve his daughter. As for Malli, she wouldn't betray me like that," Kuriya said with full confidence. She knew that she wasn't supposed to put all her eggs in one basket, but she trusted Malli so much that it was hard to stay indifferent toward her, whether it be her feelings or her actions.

"How do you know?"

"Malli is loyal to a fault. She would never betray her friends. That's one of the few endearing things about her," Kuriya stated. There were actually many things that she admired about Malli, but she knew that would only make her father worry even more. It was for the best, Kuriya concluded.

"She's a swindler, Kuriya. At the end of the day, how do you know she's not just thinking about the money?"

"If she were, she would be taking picture after picture of the Zoldyck boy," Kuriya said.

"Zoldyck?"

Kuriya sighed, playing with a bit of her black hair. She sometimes wondered, when she saw her reflection, what she had inherited from her mother. In the dark recesses of her mind, she wondered what type of relationship her father had with her mother. She wouldn't ever dare voice those thoughts though.

"Yes. Killua Zoldyck is currently taking the Hunters Exam as well. It seems Malli has unwittingly started to have a crush on him. Her dad is not pleased, to say the very least."

"Hisoka knows about that and hasn't tried to kill him? Odd," her father commented. Kuriya could tell that he was pondering on the rather interesting tidbit of information.

She snickered at his rumination, but made sure he didn't hear it. "Maybe it has something to do with another Zoldyck taking the Hunters Exam. Though he's currently hiding behind some strange makeover. It's kind of creepy, I have to confess."

"You know just about everything that goes on there, don't you?"

Kuriya grinned, a tyrannical look on her face. "I do. As long as I have my leeches to survey my surroundings, then I'll know everything there is. Of course, I still need to work on having them live longer, but I'm working on it."

"I hope one day you'll be an incredible asset to the Phantom Troupe," her father said out of the blue, hope rising in his daughter's heart.

"Really?" Kuriya said, the hope bubbling from within her slipping into her voice.

"...Yes. I'm being too protective of you. You need to fight your own battles and be able to defend yourself. The quickest way to learn is by experience."

"When?" Kuriya breathed out.

"When you come back. Otherwise, you're unofficial."

"Thank you, Father. I can't wait to come home and make you proud. I won't disappoint you. I'll become an incredible asset to the Phantom Troupe soon enough. When do we meet?" Kuriya tried her best to not let the excitement bubbling inside of her leak out. Unfortunately, she could hear it leaking out anyway.

"You'll find out," her father said cryptically.

Kuriya chuckled, knowing where he was getting at. After all, she had her leeches for a reason, didn't she? "You're right. I will find out. See you later then."

"I'll see you later, Kuriya."

With that, she hung up.

I'm going to join the Phantom Troupe. Finally I'll be apart of my family. I don't think I've ever been this happy or excited about anything like this in my life. Now I can prove once and for all that I was born to be apart of the Spiders.

Kuriya went back into the room and laid back down in her spot. Conveniently right next to a drooling Malli.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So, before I post the next chapter, I'm going to need to explain something. Before I had mentioned that there was a piece that I hadn't written in the fanfiction simply because I didn't know what to write at the time. I will post the fourth chapter later, don't worry. But I was wondering if you all wanted me to write up the Third Phase majority rules "battles" or not. All four OCs will be going through the same majority rules test (exam or whatever you want to call it) along with another character (which may or may not surprise you on who it is). It will just take me time to write each one, and I'm not sure if I can fit it all into one chapter. Either PM me or go ahead and shoot a review to tell me what you think. I'll wait until Sunday (after I settle in California) to determine whether or not to quickly write that up or skip the whole action and cut to the aftermath (where they have to go to that room and stay for however much time they had lost).

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**.

With all that said, thank you for taking interest in my fanfiction, I hope you enjoy it, I hope you _continue_ to enjoy it, and have a wonderful day. Don't forget to follow to keep up! Bye-bye peeps!


	24. Majority x Rules x (&) Surprises

"Ahem…"

The crowd on top of a tall building so high that it seemed to reach the sky diverted their attention toward the green blob, known as Beans.

"Everyone, the exam's Third Phase will begin here, at the top of Trick Tower," Mr. Beans informed.

"Trick Tower?" Someone asked from the crowd.

It's basically a prison, Quino thought. She felt nervous. How am I going to break away from everyone without seeming suspicious?

"To pass this phase, you must reach the tower's base alive. You have seventy-two hours to get to the base of this tower. With that, we will now begin the Third Phase. I will pray for your success," Beans concluded.

Quino followed after Gon as he walked toward the edge of the tower, wanting to see just how far up they were.

"Are we supposed to climb down?" A voice, Leorio's, said from behind.

"That would be suicide," Kurapika said.

"Maybe for a normal person. But a top-class rock climber can handle this, no problem," someone said to the left of them.

Quino watched as the person grabbed their climbing gear out of their backpack and started to descend the tower.

Kuriya never mentioned that method. There must be a reason why she decided not to mention it, Quino thought as she watched the rock climber descend further down.

"He's going down pretty fast," Gon commented.

It was then that Quino, along with the rest in her group, heard flapping. She picked her head up in search of the flapping noise, but she didn't see anything. Quino heard screams, and she whipped her head back down to see that the rock climber was in a giant winged creature's mouth. She watched as the man was swallowed whole, the creature, having partaken in its prey, flew off. The whole spectacle rattled Quino.

"G-guess we can't climb down the side…" Leorio said.

Okay. I see why going down the side isn't an option, Kuriya. I need to slip away, while they're still looking the other way. But how am I going to do that without looking suspicious?

"Um, why don't we split up into groups of two and check our surroundings?" Primna asked in a gentle voice.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Leorio said.

"Good idea. We'll report back to each other if we find anything," Kurapika said.

"Alright. Quino, come on, let's see if we can find any clues," Primna said.

Quino sighed. "Alright. Lead the way, I guess."

Primna and Quino walked away from the group, Primna pretending to look around for any spot that may have a trap door.

"Um, thanks for doing that. I wasn't sure how I was going to get away from them," Quino admitted.

"I figured. All this pretending and deceiving is probably new to you," Primna stated.

"No, but doing it to my friends is new," Quino said, a bit of anger lacing into her otherwise completely calm behavior.

Primna sighed. "I know. You can be mad at me for the time being. But when we meet up with Kuriya, try to not show that you're angry, okay?"

"Fine," Quino muttered.

With a few detours and pauses, they eventually made their way to Kuriya and Malli.

"Are you ready?" Kuriya asked.

Primna and Quino nodded.

"Very well, then. I–"

"Kuri, I don't know how I feel about leaving Killua behind. It wouldn't be too bad if I squeezed real quick in the same loose board as him and leave you guys with two slots open, right?"

"Malli, for your safety, and very much for your sanity, you will stay with us. We talked about this," Kuriya said. Quino could tell that they were close despite Kuriya's lack of affection.

"My _sanity_? More like _your_ sanity. You think I have an obsession with Killua, don't you? Well, I know you secretly have an obsession with that blond Kurta! Don't deny the obvious," Malli said, going on a tangent.

"Do not speak of such nonsense. Yes, I'm interested in the Kurta, but I'm interested in having my very own set of Scarlet Eyes," Kuriya retorted.

Quino gritted her teeth, not liking Kuriya's interest in Kurapika's eyes. However, she dared not to voice her complaint.

"Right. I'd like Scarlet Eyes, they cost a fortune. But I'm not as obsessed as _you_ are. And I'm _crazy_ about money."

"It's fitting that you have a crush on someone that essentially is worth a fortune for one measly picture," Kuriya said offhandedly.

Seriously?! Where is a camera when you need it, Quino thought.

"Wait, a picture of him costs a fortune?"

"Yes. They'll most likely update it to be the latest 'Wanted' page."

Oh, nevermind then. If it's more a wanted page, then I don't think I want any part in that, Quino thought with a sigh.

"If that's the case I'm _definitely_ not handing over any of the pictures of him I may take in the future," Malli said with her arms crossed.

"Are you ready to go and not waste any more time?" Kuriya asked.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," Malli said sheepishly.

Quino watched the scene between the two with a few occasional glances toward Primna. Primna watched the scene with disinterest, but Quino noticed that Primna looked a bit angry when Kuriya mentioned stealing Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes.

Why would I care if she stole Kurapika's eyes? Primna couldn't help but ponder.

"Very well. I'll instruct you on what to do next," Kuriya said.

After pointing to the spots where the loose boards are and giving instructions to go on the count of three, all four girls landed in the same room as predicted.

"Hey, what's that on the wall," Quino said, pointing to the plaque on the wall.

"The five of you must follow the will of the majority to reach the goal," Primna read.

"Hey there's five stopwatches," Malli pointed out.

"There's an X and an O button. It also tells us how much time we have left. Put them on," Kuriya said.

All four girls put the stopwatches on.

"We need five bodies to activate this, though. We're going to have to wait until somebody else comes," Primna said with a sigh.

"Yes, now we must wait," Kuriya stated with a nod.

"That's boring! Kuri, you didn't say we had to wait!"

"Apologies. A miscalculation on my part," Kuriya stated, even though it was obvious that she knew about that 'miscalculation' in the first place.

"Hello. My name is Lippo."

"Ah! I hear a voice in my head. I'm going crazy already," Malli said.

"No, it's actually the speaker right there," Quino said, pointing to it.

"I am the prison warden here, as well as the Third Phase examiner. Multiple routes through this tower have been prepared. You have chosen the path of majority rule. Cooperation will be key if you wish to clear this phase of the exam. One person's selfish behavior can derail an entire group. And you can't start until you have five members. Best of luck, ladies!"

"As he said, we must have five members. So we have to wait," Kuriya said.

And thus started the wait for a fifth member. If you asked Quino, she would've told you that it didn't take long at all for someone to drop down. However, it was definitely someone she did _not_ want to be anywhere near.

"Yay! We have another person!" Malli said, oblivious to the tension in the room.

"My, my, you are quite energetic today," said a voice all too familiar to Malli.

"Oh god, not you! Anyone but you!" Quino practically screamed.

"Quino, calm down. I know this guy's a handful, but he might be tempted to kill you if you radiate any more fear," Primna said in a calming manner.

"Are you telling me he can sense my fear? Can he smell it? Is he a bloodhound or something?!"

"No, but I do love that panicked expression," Hisoka commented.

"Ew, I hate this. I didn't sign up for _this_ ," Quino said, showing just how much she detested the situation that she was in. She hugged herself, and she felt her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.

"I will admit that this is a rather unexpected turn of events," Kuriya said.

"Er, so, could you go ahead and put that stopwatch on? It's over there," Malli said to Hisoka, pointing to the last stopwatch.

He put the stopwatch on, making a door appear from one of the walls.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Quino said, marveling at the sudden door that had appeared.

"At this door, select O to open, X not to open," Primna read.

All five pressed O and the door opened.

When they stepped out of the room, they saw another vote.

"Well, this is going to be boring," Hisoka muttered.

"Yeah, I agree," Malli said with a sigh.

"Focus. Which way do you want to go? O for right, X for left," Kuriya read.

"They don't look that much different," Quino commented.

"Just pick. I'm certain we'll be able to deal with whatever they throw at us," Kuriya said.

Three pressed O, two pressed X.

"I hope we'll get to fight soon," Malli said.

"I'm certain we'll have something challenging to face in the near future. You must be patient," Kuriya stated as she lead the group down the corridor.

They eventually reached a dead end.

"Wow, this place looks cool," Quino said as she looked around the room. She took in the sights. In the middle of the room, that had no bridges to connect it to anywhere, was a square stone island that probably reached all the way to the bottom. Quino felt apprehensive when she noticed the deep, dark abyss that surrounded the island.

"This looks like a stage," Malli commented.

"I believe this is where things start getting exciting," Kuriya said with a small smirk.

"Why do you say that?" Malli asked.

"There are people on the other side," Hisoka said.

"Allow me to explain. Before you are some of Trick Tower's prisoners," Lippo said from a speaker.

"Prisoners? Interesting," Primna muttered.

"The Hunter Exam Committee has also officially hired them as examiners. You will be fighting against the five of them. The fights will be one on one. Each person may only fight once. You are free to use any method you like. There will be no draws. A win is declared when the opponent admits defeat," the Third Phase examiner, Lippo continued.

"You may pick your order," a feminine voice said from across the distance, "it's majority rule. Secure three wins and you may pass."

"However, the actual fights will not be quite so simple. The prisoners' sentences will be reduced by one year, for every hour they delay the applicants here. In other words, their goal is also to buy time," Lippo finished.

"Great, 'cause the last thing I want is to help prisoners get out of prison," Quino muttered.

"We must reach the goal within seventy-two hours. Time will be of the utmost importance during these fights," Kuriya stated, stressing the importance of time in these fights.

"Well, I'm up first," the feminine voice from earlier said. "Go on, and choose who my opponent will be."

* * *

Hey everybody!

I'm back! And in California~

So, before you shoot flames at me (or whatever way you deliver flames to people), let me explain why I haven't been updating, because it's actually (and extremely legitimately) legit. I got sick... on Sunday. I've kinda been snapping a lot these past few days so I haven't really been on here. Also, I've been thinking that I might go ahead and skip the fights. I may do a one-shot featuring exactly what happened, but I'll mostly leave it to your imagination (with the help of the various hints in the next chapter).

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**.

I'll either post some more today or do them all tomorrow (which would be a triple post if I can still do math correctly). Words are more my cup of tea, not numbers. Anyway, until the next chapter! Bye-bye peeps!


	25. Third x Phase x Completed!

Time had flown by and each of the five had done their best, although for a few that was questionable. Why?

"Malli, I know you like treasure, but did you have to take away _30_ hours of our time?" Kuriya asked, truly and thoroughly pissed off. There were many things that she could shrug off when it came to Malli's questionable actions, but this one took the cake. Malli frowned, feeling cheated.

It wasn't even real treasure, Malli thought with a huff. Now I'm being scolded because I was tricked. How could they?!

Kuriya saw Malli's defeated sulking and sighed, knowing that Malli understood how stupid of a move that was. At least, Kuriya hoped that was what was going through her friend's mind. She turned her attention toward Primna, feeling less irritated. Kuriya couldn't necessarily blame Primna for this one. "I don't fault you for losing since you did get unlucky by having to face a child in a fight to the death," Kuriya said. Even so, she cursed Primna's luck.

"I-I failed you, Father," Primna said with teary eyes, not even noticing Kuriya's acknowledgement.

"Hey, I'm just glad I lucked out and it had to do with smithing blades. Of course, I was caught off guard when the prisoner started to _use_ it," Quino said with a huff. Kuriya could guess why Quino was in such a sour mood. She had... bested the opponent with a blade she had not crafted herself. Quino had used her opponent's blade on themselves, winning a match for her team at the cost of her own pride. Kuriya didn't know why Quino decided to use the opponent's blade, but at the end of the day they had won.

"My, my, you all have such long faces. I had quite a fun time," Hisoka said. Kuriya shot a glare at the man. Another thing she cursed was Hisoka's unfathomable, and dumb, luck.

"You're the only one that got an actual fight!" Malli said with a pout, clenching her hands in a tight ball. Kuriya witnessed Malli's knuckles turned white, the sheer strength in the grip cutting off her circulation.

"I didn't know you were witty like that, Kuriya," Quino commented, as if in an afterthought to the current madness going on between Malli and Hisoka. Hisoka was only staring at Malli with a gleam in his eyes that spelled just how amused he was by the girl's actions. Malli, however, wasn't having nearly as fun as Hisoka at that moment.

"When she's not doing business, which is rarely, she can be quite witty and funny. I always told her she'd do well as an entertainer if she ever wanted a change of profession or her current one wasn't working," Primna said. Kuriya glanced at Primna, then focused her gaze on Quino. In the back of her mind, Kuriya wondered if Quino was aware of the current situation.

"So, 30 hours, huh? Well, I guess I'll nap," Quino said. Quino made her way to one of the bean bags on the floor and curled up in it. The bean bag encompassed her body, the young blacksmith unaware of her surroundings. She was out like a light in seconds.

"She's quite oblivious, isn't she?" Kuriya asked, glancing between Quino and the obvious elephant in the room.

"Kuriya, you know that's not a fair assessment. She can't sense Nen. Nor can she sense the underlying bloodlust coming from you-know-who," Primna said, sighing from exasperation. Primna was starting to get tired of defending Quino from Kuriya's harsh judgements.

"Well, now that she's asleep, could you tone it down a little? I mean, you got to fight. And yet you're still itching for more," Malli said with a huff.

"You'll understand someday. With so much potential in the room, I find it hard to calm myself," Hisoka said.

This caused Primna to shudder, Kuriya to grimace, and Malli to bite her lip.

"You know, this seems like the start of a horrible joke. Four girls stuck in a room with a murderous clown," Primna commented, sighing.

"Agreed."

"So, wanna use Nen to–"

"Mal, I already discussed this. Quino doesn't know Nen, so we can't use it," Kuriya said.

"Not even if we keep quiet?" Malli pleaded.

"No, not even then," Primna responded.

Primna and Kuriya sat down on the floor and tried their best to ignore the bloodlust seeping from Hisoka.

Kuriya watched as the time ticked down, and the longer they stayed in the room the more times Kuriya caught herself glancing at Hisoka. Was she scared of him? No, not really. Could she win a fight against him? That was debatable, and that was easily the one thing that made her nervous about this whole situation. Out of the four, Kuriya was the strongest girl in the room. Despite Primna being older, Kuriya had been trained from an earlier age than Primna. It was an occupational hazard, Kuriya being the heiress of the Phantom Troupe. Training from an early age, learning how to survive, learning to exploit others' good will: all of that was mandatory.

"Hey, Kuriya, time's up," Primna said.

Kuriya opened her eyes. She hadn't realized they were closed. Swiftly getting up from her position on the floor, Kuriya glanced at her stopwatch. It read 38:02.

"We have about 38 hours to get to the base of this tower," Kuriya stated, willing herself to wake from her tired stupor.

"Okay, we should rush as much as possible. Who knows how much is left to complete," Primna said.

"Very well. Press O to continue, X to not," Kuriya commanded, pressing O on her stopwatch.

Four people pressed O and one pressed X.

"Ah, sorry, accidentally pressed the wrong button," Quino admitted, blushing from embarrassment.

"Let's get through this as fast as we can!" Malli said, running through the door before anyone replied to her cheery sentence.

"Such enthusiasm," Hisoka commented.

They all rushed through the corridors, and conveniently outran most of the traps because of it. Malli almost landed in a pit with spikes at the bottom, though. Hisoka, to the astonishment of Quino and Primna, had saved Malli from her enthusiastic running.

"Hey this looks fancy! And there's a lot of weapons around us. Do we get to fight?" Malli asked, adrenaline still flowing through her veins.

"Well, let's see what this room is about," Quino said, running toward the plaque, "Are you ready? O to continue, X to stop."

Everybody pressed O.

"One path allows five to pass, but is long and difficult. The other path allows only three, but is short and easy," Lippo, from a speaker, said, "incidentally, the long and difficult path requires a minimum of forty-five hours. The short and easy path leads to the goal in approximately three minutes. Press O for the long and difficult path, and X for the short and easy path. If X is selected, two people must be secured to the wall with handcuffs, before the door will open. The two chained members will be unable to move until the time limit expires."

"So we're supposed to fight and leave the two losers behind?" Kuriya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You didn't see this coming, did you?" Primna asked Kuriya.

"No. Hold on, though, let me think this through and–"

Before she could finish, Malli pushed Kuriya, almost making Kuriya fall flat on her face. A card flew right between the two of them, digging into the wall with unbelievable strength.

"Calm down. We're not going to fight each other _until_ we figure out that it's the only way," Malli said, hands on her hips and eyes trained on Hisoka.

"We won't make the long way, so we have to take the short way," Hisoka said. His bloodlust was practically tangible, and it was visibly overwhelming Quino.

Kuriya walked toward the card and eyed it. She grabbed it and pulled it out, inspecting the damage it had made.

Meanwhile, Malli was trying to coax Hisoka to calm down and wait even though she knew that all he wanted to do was kill. Primna pulled Quino behind her, trying her best to shield Hisoka's bloodlust so it didn't damage Quino's psyche.

"I may have an idea," Kuriya said for all to hear, still inspecting the card and the wall.

"Oh, you do? What brilliant idea have you conjured up?" Hisoka said with barely contained self-control.

"We go the long way. Trust me, I have a plan and I'm certain if we work together we'll be able to accomplish this in no time," Kuriya said with confidence.

"Hmm, fine. I'll trust our little spider," Hisoka said with a smirk. Kuriya bristled, but didn't say or do anything else.

All five of them pressed O.

"Alright, now we break the wall," Kuriya said, grabbing an axe.

"Break the– that's genius!" Quino said, eagerly grabbing an axe.

"Hold on, maybe we should give that to someone stronger. No offense," Primna stated.

"But I'm a blacksmith! I'm used to doing hard work like this," Quino said, unknowingly pouting.

"Okay, fine. If you get tired, give the axe to someone else, okay?" Primna said with a sigh.

"Just not Hisoka. It's best to not involve him at the moment. Or give him a weapon in general. He's barely controlling himself right now," Malli stated as she nervously snuck a glance toward Hisoka.

With that, Quino and Kuriya began to work to break the wall down.

Within less than ten minutes, a good portion of the wall had collapsed. There was enough room to fit them all through.

"Come on, you first Hisoka. And don't you make any funny moves," Malli said, practically pushing Hisoka into the other corridor. Of course, he wasn't pleased one bit by Malli's insistent actions, but he decided it was best to play along for now.

"Malli seems to know how to handle Hisoka pretty well," Quino muttered, admiring Malli for her guts and ability to actually make him do what she wants.

"Quino, Primna, what I'm about to tell you may be shocking, but what I am about to say is the truth. Do not, under any circumstances, share this bit of information with anyone. If you fail to keep this to yourselves, I will personally deal with you," Kuriya said with a dark look in her eyes. Quino gulped in response, but Primna simply stood there like it didn't bother her. "Malli is Hisoka's daughter."

"Wha–" Quino was stopped by a hand clasping her mouth.

"That makes sense why she's able to be in close proximity to him and not feel unnerved," Primna said, keeping her hands clasped above Quino's mouth.

"Actually, she still does feel that way. However, she's able to tell what state of mind he's in, and if he's going to swiftly become unstable any time soon. She realizes that Hisoka is less likely to attack if she keeps making him aware that she's in close proximity to him. You could say her presence calms him somewhat. Still, be on guard. His bloodlust might become too overpowering for him in the near future," Kuriya explained.

"Well, we should probably get going," Quino said, reminding them of their time limit.

"Let's go," Kuriya stated.

All three of them went to the parallel corridor, and proceeded to go down it. Just like the examiner had stated earlier, it took three minutes to go down.

"Kuriya, applicant #158, is the thirteenth to pass. Primna, applicant #400, is the fourteenth to pass. Quino, applicant #406, is the fifteenth to pass. Total time, fifty-eight hours and forty-eight minutes."

Quino laughed, looking around at the other applicants in the room. Primna turned her serious face into a relaxed one, giving an air of gentleness with an underlying tone of danger. Kuriya walked off and slid down against a wall, sitting against it. Malli was talking to Hisoka, though it looked one-sided. Hisoka kept his gaze to the ground, not acknowledging the girl that was blabbering to him.

"We made it. I started to worry for a second there," Quino said with a blush.

"Yes, we almost ended up fighting amongst ourselves. Fortunately, Kuriya managed to stay calm and create a plan," Primna said with a smile.

"Well, I'm tired. Though it was really fun," Quino said with a small smile on her face.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your time. I didn't think you'd have so much fun with so much tension in the group mainly caused by an unexpected clown's bloodlust."

"Hah, guess you're right. I'm glad I survived," Quino said.

Primna stalked off to a wall and sat down, Quino not far behind.

"So what do we say when they question what happened to us?"

Primna shook her head. "You're definitely a worry wart. No worries, though. I'll think of something, you just go along with what I have to say, okay?"

"You did it before, I trust you to work your magic again," Quino said.

"Now we wait. Hopefully they make it," Primna whispered.

"They probably will. Well, Leorio seems to be the weak link in the group. Though Killua is a– you're afraid Leorio's not going to make it."

"Huh?" Primna breathed out.

"You're afraid Leorio's not going to make it. That he'll fail or, worse, get killed."

"He's a kind person. He's aiming to become a doctor to help those in need, which is admirable. I think he deserves to pass the Hunter Exam and get the money to become a doctor. He may even be able to give people who simply can't afford what they need for free," Primna said with a sweet smile on her face.

"Sure. Whatever you say," Quino muttered.

"Besides, are you certain you should be talking about my bias towards Leorio? At least my worries are reasonable. Yours aren't," Primna said with a bit of a smirk.

"Mine? I'm not worried," Quino said, giving a huff that only made Primna's smirk grow.

"You're worried that someday Gon will leave you behind. That you'll be abandoned, just like your adoptive mother did to you," Primna said, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Take that back! You don't know anything!" Quino said, glaring at Primna. Primna noticed the tears building up in Quino's eyes and she instantly knew that she needed to apologize to Quino.

"I won't take it back, because it's the truth. But I'm sorry I angered you. I have a terrible time at biting my tongue," Primna said with an apologetic expression on her face.

"N-no. You're right. That's exactly what happened. It's just–"

"New? Difficult to admit? You don't want it to be true." Primna watched as Quino's eyes concentrated on the ground. Frowning, Primna added, "I have something that I don't want to admit either. Do you want to hear about it?"

Quino looked at Primna with tears in her eyes but Primna could see the underlying curiosity burning in those red eyes.

"I don't want to admit that my dad abused me," Primna started. "All these years, I thought of his abuse as his love. That's the only thing I've been raised up knowing. I've thought of abuse as love. He'd even tell me he was sorry that he hurt me, only to hurt me again later. I had learned over the years that that was his way of telling me that he loves me, despite all the pain he put me through. But it isn't true. The fact is, I'm not sure if he even loves me at all. He's never told me he does. But I love him. Even through all that pain, I still love him. But then something happened that changed my whole view on what 'love' was."

"What was that?" Quino asked, scooting closer.

"You wouldn't believe it. You'd probably think I was joking. Are you ready to hear this interesting little tidbit?"

Quino nodded her head, tears no longer in her eyes. All that was left in her eyes was curiosity.

"My dad became busy. I forgot what the job was, but he had to leave for a while. So he brought me over to the Hunter Association. That's when I met Chairman Netero for the first time. It's funny, because I'd forgotten this very vital detail in my life. It wasn't until recently that I remembered it. My dad brought me to Chairman Netero, and I stayed with him for the duration of my dad's job."

"You stayed with Chairman Netero? He babysat you?" Quino asked, definitely shocked by the news.

"He did. I was an unruly child. At the time, I had thought of love as pain. Chairman Netero realized that when I brought home a dead puppy. I remember thinking it was so cute, and that I absolutely loved the thing. So I killed it. I wanted to show it to Chairman Netero, to show that I absolutely loved the puppy and that I wanted to keep it. Of course, I hadn't realized I had killed it."

"So it was accidental?"

"If you call sticking sticks into the thing as it whimpered, then yeah, _accidental_. No, I just didn't realize that I had _killed_ it. I only thought it was in pain," Primna said, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"Oh, I get it," Quino said quietly.

"He corrected me. Chairman Netero– he told me that that wasn't love. I was confused when he told me that. Then I asked the question that changed my life. I asked what _is_ love. Instead of telling me, he decided to show me. With a hug, of all things. I didn't know what to do. It was a foreign thing, a hug, and I didn't know what to do. After that, Chairman Netero began to teach me what love and affection really was. I was heartbroken when my dad took me back. I felt like he ripped me away from a person who I started to think of as my true father. From that day on, I decided to block the memories. They were just too painful to bear. A few remnants from those days remain, though. For instance, I took up babysitting, which is really odd if you take my character and background into account."

"Wow. That's a really messed up past. Do you regret meeting him. Chairman Netero, I mean," Quino said, tilting her head.

"No. He taught me so much. And it wasn't just about love and affection either. He even taught me some martial arts. He helped me get better at controlling my Nen. He even gave me an encyclopedia book on the Dark Continent's Flora," Primna said with a small smile.

"The Dark Continent? Wait, why would he give you a book on that? Wait! Isn't that place undiscovered?"

"Ah, oops. Oh well, I guess _that_ cat's out of the bag now," Primna said half-jokingly, her eyes downcast.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm from the Dark Continent," Primna said, her eyes closed.

"You! How?! Hold on, how are you from the Dark Continent?" Quino asked, whispering the last bit into Primna's ear.

"Well, I was born there. And anyone born and raised there are tight lipped about it. Sorry, but I can't really go into detail about it," Primna said, glancing around at her surroundings.

"Oh, um, okay. That's really crazy though. So, I should probably not talk about this to anyone, right?" Quino asked, already deciding herself to keep this a secret.

"I would like that," Primna whispered to Quino.

"Kurapika, applicant #404, is the twenty-eighth to pass. Killua, applicant #99, is the twenty-ninth to pass. Gon, applicant #405, is the thirtieth to pass. Total time, seventy-one hours and fifty-nine minutes."

"They made it. Wait, all three of them came from the same place. And where's Leorio?"

Primna frowned. "Quino, I think they came from the other set. You remember Kuriya talking about how there were two sets of majority rules, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Wait, if that's true, then they must've gotten to the point where they had to choose between the long path or the short one," Quino said, trailing off when she saw the look in Primna's eyes. It was vicious, and dark. Nothing Quino had ever seen before could match such an intense look.

"They took the short path. Leorio's not here," Primna said.

"Wait, calm–"

"Leorio, applicant #403, is the thirty-first to pass. Tonpa, applicant #16, is the thirty-second to pass. Total time, seventy-one hours and fifty-nine minutes."

"See, Leorio made it. He was just lagging behind," Quino said, giving a halfhearted laugh. She was just glad Primna didn't instantly charge at Kurapika, Gon, and Killua.

"Yeah," Primna breathed out.

"Come on, let's go and congratulate them," Quino said, getting up from her seat on the floor and grabbing Primna's wrist.

Primna got up as Quino began to drag her towards the group. Quino had a big smile on her face, and Primna had a genuine smile for once.

"The Third Phase of the exam is over. Thirty-three applicants have passed. One has die," the Third Phase examiner, Lippo, announced.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Wow, that was long. I know I said today that I would triple post, but I didn't expect this chapter to be so darn long. So I'm _really_ sorry to postpone the triple post. Please forgive me. TT

 **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**.

Well, next chapter will be going to the next phase. But I do want to warn you that one of the chapters I will be posting soon contains... referencing to cutting? Technically doesn't show, but it's quite obvious that that's what is happening. Don't worry, though, I'll warn you before the chapter actually starts (and I'll even give a little bold warning that'll tell you when it appears). In my opinion, it doesn't seem that bad, but I won't let my personal opinion cloud my judgement.

With all that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter, are excited to see more, and can wait patiently for the triple post that **I will post tomorrow**. Oh, and make sure to follow so that way you can keep up! Bye-bye peeps!


	26. Kuriya's x Annoyance x Grows

"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on having escaped Trick Tower," the examiner, Lippo, said. They were currently outside of the tower that they all had worked hard to descend down from. All 33 applicants were standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking the vast blue sea before them. "Only the Fourth Phase and the Final Phase remain," Lippo informed them all.

"Two more…" Someone in the crowd muttered. The voice came from behind Kuriya and Malli, though both paid little mind.

"The Fourth Phase will take place over there, on Zevil Island," the examiner said, pointing behind his back at the island in the distance behind him. It seemed like a long way from the cliff that they all were on, and Kuriya wondered if they would get there by air or sea. "Let us proceed," the examiner stated. With the snap of his fingers, someone Kuriya assumed was a bodyguard rolled in a cart with a small box on top of it. "I will need you to draw lots."

Lots? Kuriya thought as she eyed the box on top of the cart. Interesting.

"For what?" Someone in the crowd said. Kuriya knew that was the question on all their minds. She glanced at Malli and saw that Malli's eyes were glued to a rock that happened to glisten in the sun. Kuriya sighed and begrudgingly changed her previous assumption to the question that was on _almost_ everybody's mind.

"To determine who will hunt and who will be hunted," Lippo explained plainly, motioning his hand toward the cart. "In here are thirty-two numbered cards. In other words, your ID numbers are on the cards. Now, I need you to each draw a card, in the order by which you exited the tower. Will the first person come forward?"

And thus begins the draw of the lots. Of course, Kuriya hadn't bothered to watch or pay much attention. All she paid attention to was Malli. Kuriya knew that Malli was the who had advanced to the next phase before herself.

"Everyone's taken a card?"

The examiner's question was met with silence.

"Then, remove the seal from your card," Lippo commanded.

Kuriya peeled off her seal, revealing a number. #158.

I don't know who that is. And everyone's already taking their tag off. Oh well, I'll figure it out. My forte is finding information, whether I want to know or not. For better or worse as Aunt Machi always says.

"Hey, hey, Kuri, what's your number?" Malli asked, breaking Kuriya from her thoughts.

"Not yours," Kuriya shot back.

"Oh man, why don't you tell me? Please?" Malli pleaded, giving Kuriya her puppy eyes.

"#158. Yours?" Kuriya muttered so as not to give away her target. She didn't know who was on whose side. Anybody could divulge information for a reasonable price.

Malli smiled. "#261."

"Good, we don't have to hunt each other," Kuriya said offhandedly.

And better yet, I won't have to hunt the other girls down. Even better, none of our numbers have anything to do with the other girls' _group_.

"We'll go hunt our targets together, okay?" Kuriya said, her question sounding more like a command than a suggestion.

Malli nodded, her smile even bigger.

"This box has recorded which card each of you drew. This means that you're free to dispose of the cards if you wish. The objective is to steal your target's ID tag," Lippo continued with his explanation.

"Oh, so we don't need to kill each other," someone behind Kuriya muttered.

No, we don't have to. But I doubt that's going to save your hide, since it's probably the quickest way to grab a tag.

"Naturally, you're free to use any method you choose to steal the ID tags. Including killing your target and taking the tag off the corpse," the examiner said.

"That sounds like the fastest way," another person behind Kuriya muttered.

"S-so that's what this is about?"

"Fool, there's nothing to be scared of," yet another person behind Kuriya muttered.

There's a lot of unnecessary chatter happening in that corner of the crowd, Kuriya thought. It's getting aggravating to overhear something that is obviously not important enough to remember, let alone hear.

"Listen carefully! Your target's ID tag is worth three points. Your own ID is also worth three points. All other ID tags are worth one point. You need six points to advance to the Final Phase. So while on Zevil Island, you must gather enough ID tags to total six points. That is the condition for clearing the Hunter Exam's Fourth Phase," the examiner of the Third Phase finished.

Well, this may be a challenge. But if I go about this carefully, I'll probably be fine.

With the instructions on how to pass the Fourth Phase, Kuriya and all the other applicants went on board a boat to Zevil Island.

* * *

Hey everybody!

My finger today just wants to hit the tilde (~). Every time I go to press the exclamation point (!) I accidentally press the tilde (~). Anyway, I know this chapter is short, but I extended it by about 300+ words and I can't do much more. Plus, I'm going to post two more chapters. I figure it would be fine. (That's totally an excuse though because I started late on posting chapters today).

 **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**.

So I hope you enjoy this chapter (and the other two) and get ready for the infamous triple post! Bye-bye peeps!


	27. They x All x Meet

"I'd like to commend everyone on board for their excellent work during the Hunter Exam's Third Phase! I will serve as your guide. My name is Khara! It will take two hours for this boat to reach Zevil Island. All thirty-two applicants remaining here are automatically qualified to take next year's exam! So if you fail this year, don't feel bad. Please try again next year…" the woman who had been speaking had stopped, taking in the atmosphere of her surroundings.

Woman, we don't care what you have to say, Kuriya thought, rolling her eyes at the cheery female.

"Hmm, do you think we should go and see Quino's and Primna's cards?" Malli asked, totally ignoring the female that Kuriya was a bit annoyed with. Though if we're being honest, Kuriya is already a bit annoyed with everything.

Not a bad idea, but I wonder how I'll explain that without making their group suspicious…

"Hey! Primna, Quino! What are your targets?" Malli said, running over to Primna and Quino without Kuriya's consent.

Blasted child! No, calm down, just go with it, I have a reasonable–

"Oh, it's Malli. Why do you want to see our cards?"

"Because we're in an alliance, silly," Malli said, making the boys either look at her in suspicion or cast their gaze towards Quino and Primna.

I better butt in before Malli makes more of a mess, Kuriya thought as she quickly made her way over to Malli's energetic form.

"Excuse me, pardon my friend's intrusion," Kuriya said, giving a quick glare to Malli. Malli frowned, realizing that she almost messed everything up.

"You see, Quino and Primna were part of the majority rules group that we were in during the Third Phase," Kuriya said.

"Hey, you're that girl who beat up a pig for me," Killua said, suddenly remembering the girl before her. "And you're her friend Kuri– Kura– Kur–"

"He means to say Kuriya. It's nice to see you again," Kurapika said, looking solely at Kuriya.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Quino, Primna, you don't need to show Malli, or me, your cards," Kuriya said.

"Well, we did become friends, so I guess we could show you a quick glimpse," Primna said, lightly elbowing Quino's rib.

"Yeah," Quino agreed.

Primna and Quino lifted their cards up for Kuriya and Malli to see. #320 was Quino's, while Primna's was #89.

"Okay, by the way, we don't have your numbers either," Kuriya said.

"Do you have ours?"

Kuriya looked at Kurapika with surprise.

I shouldn't be surprised. He doesn't know I'm a part of the Phantom Troupe, let alone the leader's daughter. For all he knows, I'm just a friend of Primna and Quino. Technically I am a friend of Primna's, but we usually contact each other for business purposes only, specifically if its informational.

"Um, no, we don't. Do any of you have ours? Mine's #158 and Malli's #261."

"I don't," Leorio said.

"I don't have those numbers either," Gon piped up.

"No, I don't have them," Killua said.

"Well, it looks like we have neither," Kurapika concluded.

"I see," Kuriya said, not sure if she should leave or not.

"So, um, I saw you guys all leave from the same door. Did you get majority rules, too?"

Well, that's one good thing about Malli. She knows how to start a conversation, Kuriya silently applauded.

"Yeah, I heard your total time. You guys cut it close," Malli said with a grin.

"Actually, we only had about an hour left. And we had to choose between taking the long route or the short one," Kurapika stated.

"How did all of you manage to get through, then?" Kuriya asked.

"We picked the long route and broke down the wall to get into the short route," Gon said.

"You did what we did, then," Kuriya said with a small smile.

"You did that, too?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah. Hisoka was getting a little antsy, though, so we had to make it quick–"

"Hisoka? Was he the fifth member?" Kurapika asked, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Yes, he was. I was just as surprised, and it made the Phase Three exam much more interesting in my opinion. We managed to get to that same room, where we had to choose between the long path or the short one, and Hisoka almost lobbed my head off of my shoulders. Thankfully, Malli sensed that Hisoka was about to attack and pushed me out of the way."

"Yup! I'm a lifesaver," Malli said, a proud grin on her face.

"Wow, you're amazing!" Gon applauded.

"Oh, I think we forgot to introduce ourselves to the last bit of this group," Kuriya said absentmindedly.

"We did! Oh no. Okay, I'm Malli! And the girl right next to me is my long-time bestest of friends, Kuriya! I call her Kuri. She can be just as spicy," Malli said with a chuckle.

The last bit earned a smack to the back of her head, making Malli wince.

"Excuse me for my friend's poor manners. She can be a bit of an oddball, as well as overwhelming," Kuriya said, fighting the urge to do more than a simple smack to Malli's head.

"Geez, that was a hard hit, Kuri," Malli said with a frown, oblivious to Kuriya's urges.

"It was necessary," Kuriya stated, sheathing her hand in her pants' pocket.

"Why do you want to become a Hunter, Kuriya?" Gon asked.

Kuriya looked down at the boy, a blank look on her face. "I want to prove to my father that I'm more than capable of defending myself."

"Really? What does your father do?"

"Steals, mostly. Though if people get in the way…"

Kuriya could sense the darkening mood, along with the tension that came from her words, and she barely managed to not grin. She liked putting people on edge.

"Your father sounds like a bad person," Leorio said mutely.

"Depending on who you ask," Kuriya defended. She wondered if she should have defended him.

"Why do you want to prove yourself to someone like that?" Kurapika asked calmly, though his eyes lit up with red.

Those are the Scarlet Eyes! So he really is a Kurta. Hmm, interesting.

"He's my father. And he's also the only parental figure I have. He tries to ship me off to safe environments to keep me safe. But that just makes me feel like he doesn't have confidence in my abilities to defend myself. So I'm going to prove it by becoming a Hunter," Kuriya said, watching Kurapika closely.

" I still don't quite understand, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree," Kurapika said. His eyes were still red, though.

I want those eyes. Badly. But I can't take them now. Not yet. I'll take them when he least expects it.

"What about you, Malli?" Gon asked.

Good, the subject has changed, Kuriya thought.

"Me? Well, I actually entered the Hunter Exam by mistake."

They all looked at her in disbelief. Except Kuriya, who had already known about this fact.

"How? Didn't you need to say a specific code at a specific place to get in?" Leorio asked in disbelief. Gauging all of their reactions, however, they were all shocked by the news.

"Well, yeah, but I was _so_ hungry. And the place looked cheap. Of course, you have to take into account that I feel self-conscious eating in front of people. So I asked for the back room. And steak seemed to be _so_ yummy. And instead of ordering like I usually do, I wanted to sound poetic because I _finally_ get to have food after _two days_. So, yeah. Who would have thought I'd have guessed the Hunter Exam's secret code?" Malli said, giggling just a little bit. Kuriya bit her lip at the sound. She wanted to tell Malli so badly that she sounded like a lunatic just then. Maybe, in some ways, apples don't fall far from the tree.

"Is that actually true? You didn't come together?" Kurapika asked, his eyes no longer red.

Hmm, that's funny. For some reason I can't help but think his gray eyes are beautiful, too– no! Wait, why would I think– no! These same symptoms are similar to Malli's– oh no. No! This can't be happening. Not with the last Kurta! That just makes things incredulously complicated. And the moment he realizes that I have some relations with the Phantom Troupe, he'll _kill_ me. There goes simplicity, Kuriya thought. She had to fight off the huff that threatened to release itself from her tight self-control.

"No, we didn't. I was surprised when I saw Kuri in the exam. Then I saw, um, hehe, well, I saw something beautiful and wish to treasure it," Malli said with a wistful look.

Smooth.

"Something beautiful? What was it? A gem?" Gon asked. Leorio was also interested, and Quino looked like she was, though she was trying to hide it.

"Well, no. But if it were, things would be much more simple," Malli said, a smitten look in her eyes.

Kuriya watched as Killua squirmed just a bit with a light blush on his cheeks.

So he knows. Well, that makes things _really_ awkward.

"On a side note, I've thought over what you could become, Mal," Kuriya said, trying to dissuade from the current subject.

"Oh, really? What is it, then?"

"I was thinking perhaps you could become a simple Treasure Hunter," Kuriya said, her eyes straying from her friend and going towards Kurapika's form.

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?! Kuri, you're a genius!" Malli said, shouting to the heavens. This, of course, caused some of the people around them to look at her as if she were mad. Kuriya would've told them that that wasn't too far from the truth if they'd asked.

No, you just don't bother to think straight. Or research, Kuriya thought as her eyes went back to Malli's ecstatic form.

"So, you know why we want to become Hunters, may I know why you all want to become Hunters?" Kuriya asked, her eyes trailing back to Kurapika's relaxed figure. She didn't fail to notice that her tone had an unusual softness to it.

No! Must be cold and calculating. No feelings.

 **Emotions will only get in the way.**

"Money," Leorio said with a grin on his face. "That and women."

Kuriya saw out of the corner of her eye how Primna gave a smoldering look toward Leorio's direction.

"I want to find out why my dad wanted to be a Hunter so bad," Gon said.

"I just want to find my adoptive mother. I'm hoping that I'll find her if I get a Hunter's License," Quino said.

"Well, I just want to escape my father," Primna said with a sweet smile.

Kuriya wanted to smirk at the women's acting.

"I want to recover the eyes of my people, the Kurta Clan. I also want to bring in the Phantom Troupe, whether by sending them to jail or death," Kurapika said, that dark look back in his eyes.

"I don't really care about becoming a Hunter," Killua stated with a shrug.

"Hmm," Malli muttered, taking a seat awfully close to Killua. Killua had a frown on his face, seemingly not pleased by Malli's decision to sit close to him. He even scooted _just_ a little, away from Malli.

Kuriya decided to sit next to Leorio and Kurapika.

I need to get close to the Kurta, Kuriya thought as she glanced between Kurapika and Leorio. Not because I have this strange infatuation with him. I want to get close to Kurapika so that way I'll gain his trust. Then I can get his Scarlet Eyes.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Um, I don't really have much to say. Longer chapter, though! Yay!

 **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Bye-bye peeps!


	28. Circuses x Assassins x (&) Clarity

"So, Killua, how was getting to the exam site for you?"

"Okay," Killua said, glancing between Malli and Gon. Unfortunately for him, Quino took this moment to steal Gon from him. They were both walking away, talking about who-knows-what, leaving Killua and Malli together.

Could this get any worse? Killua thought.

"Oh. How w-was the First Phase?" Malli asked.

"It was boring," Killua said curtly.

"Hmm, then... what a-about the Second Phase? What w-were your thoughts o-on that?"

"I thought it was stupid how the examiner failed most of us because we didn't make it taste good. How was I supposed to know the Second Phase would be cooking?" Killua said, revealing his frustration over the Second Phase. Even though he had passed the second time, he still felt cheated by his failure from the first time.

"Yeah. I kinda felt bad for, um, passing while everyone else except Primna f-failed," Malli said with a frown.

"You passed?" Killua asked.

Didn't she jump down, though?

"Yup. Back at the circus we'd rotate kitchen duty. Sometimes we d-didn't have enough money to buy premade food, so I would, um, volunteer to make some dishes for the spectators. It was fun!" Malli said, shyly.

"Circus? You came from a circus?"

"Uh-huh. We all had our part in the circus, though I liked being the magician _and_ the acrobat. I was good at being a magician, but doing the acrobatic stuff really made me feel alive!" Malli said with a little bit more pep.

"What was the circus called?"

"Cirque de Shyr. It's okay if you've never heard of it. I've traveled a _long_ way from home," Malli said with a grin.

Killua felt shivers go down his spine as he witnessed the eerily familiar grin.

"So where did you come from, Killua?"

Should I even tell her? She'd probably think I'm joking.

"I'm from a family of assassins," Killua stated.

"Really? Wow, so are you an assassin, too?" Malli asked. She looked absolutely surprised, as if...

"You believe me?" Killua asked, stunned that someone else believed his words too.

"Huh? Of course I do. Why? Are you not telling the truth?" Malli asked. Killua was unaware of the fact that Malli already knew the answer to her own question.

I am, but I just think you're really weird, Killua thought.

"No, I'm telling the truth. People usually think I'm joking about that, though," Killua muttered the last bit.

"Really? Well, I, uh, believe you. I think it's cool! Oh, hey, um, h-how many siblings do you have?"

"Um, I have three brothers," Killua said.

"That's nice. Sometimes I wish I had a brother or sister," Malli said with a sigh.

"Why?" Killua was genuinely curious.

"I, um, feel lonely, sometimes. Ah, but I do have my dad!"

"Oh? What does he do?"

Malli bit her lip. She looked like she was debating something in her head. "He's a– you see, he–" Malli sighed. "I'm going to tell you something that seems a _bit_ crazy and may even sound like a lie. But you can't tell anyone else about it, please! You'll believe what I'll say next, right?" Malli hoped that he would believe her words. She believed in him, so it's only right for him to believe in her, right?

Killua nodded his head.

"You see that guy over there," Malli said, pointing at a man with red hair and–

Killua recognized that man as Hisoka the Magician. #44. Someone you want to avoid at all costs.

"What about him?" Killua asked, wanting to hear what he suspected from her. The thought of it was bordering unbelievable but if what she says next is–

"He's m-my dad."

So it's true…

"Heheh, crazy, right? I'm sure you, um, know who that is," Malli said, looking away from Killua for once.

"That's Hisoka. Also known as Hisoka the Magician. He killed an examiner last year," Killua muttered.

"Wait, h-he killed an examiner last year? Man, can he control himself for once? I wonder how _I_ was even made," Malli said with a huff.

Killua snickered at that last bit. "So, does he know that you're…"

"Of course he does. He just told me not to tell anyone about it because he fears I'll be used against him," Malli said with a grin.

Killua now understands why that grin seemed so eerily familiar. He also realized that she got her eyes from him, and she has really pale skin like him too. The only thing that's different, that may or may not be dyed, was her violet hair. The resemblance between them was uncanny, and Killua wondered how he hadn't seen it before.

"Is your hair dyed?" Killua asked before he could stop himself.

"No. It's natural. Don't worry, a lot of people ask that question," Malli responded, seeing that Killua felt regret for asking. She didn't know why he regretted asking the question. To Malli, it was a normal question to ask.

"So, how exactly are you alive?"

Malli laughed. "Well, he did make me stay at Cirque de Shyr my whole life. I really can't imagine how I would've survived otherwise. Though Dad is much calmer when I'm around him. Question is, how did _you_ survive being in a family of assassins?"

"I'm tough," Killua said with pride.

"So you're an assassin, huh? How's the underground world like?" Malli asked. Whenever she asked Kuriya, Kuriya never responded to her question.

Killua sighed. "Boring. I wasn't able to get to many places because I was still in training. That's the excuse my family gave me at least."

"Oh. Speaking of training, sometimes my dad would come by and 'train' me. Although training was really me just running away from my psychopathic dad as he hunted me down and threw cards at me. He'd never throw a card where he'd kill me, but sometimes he'd nick me in the shoulder, or give a good cut on my leg. And when he'd finally corner me, he'd say 'I got you, gumdrop'. But sometimes he'd barely have any restraint because of his bloodlust."

"Hah, that's nothing compared to what we're put through," Killua said.

"Really? Wow, they're really hard on you guys, huh?" Malli asked, wondering exactly what Killua had to go through. It made her feel both amazed and scared.

"Maybe," Killua said. He looked at Gon's approaching form. "Um, I gotta go," Killua said, getting up from his spot.

"Oh, well, okay. It was, um, nice talking to you!" Malli said.

"Yeah," Killua said absentmindedly. He took a long look at her, as if this was his first time looking at her.

She's kind of eccentric, but that's okay. It was actually nice to talk to her, Killua thought, feeling himself blush.

"Bye," Killua said, running off.

"Bye," Malli responded wistfully.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Ya know, I felt really good writing this chapter. My night is complete. Well, good day (or night? evening? Meh, I don't know).

 **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**.

Well, this is probably one of my favorite chapters. Just to know that Killua's thoughts went from "oh no, I have to talk the girl who has a crush on me (and who is my stalker but I don't even know that)" to "you know, she's actually not that bad". Of course, I'm happy with the fact that their relationship has progressed (even if it's slightly) but it's more the underlying message that makes me happy. "The person who you think is weird might not be as weird as you thought."

Anyway, thank you all for taking your time out of the day to read this story. I really appreciate all of you taking your time to read this. (If you do.) Well, until the next chapter folks! Bye-bye peeps!


	29. Wants x Anticipations x Fears

While Killua and Malli were starting their conversation, Quino took the chance to drag Gon away and talk to him one-on-one. It had been way too long for Quino since the last conversation they had.

"Gon, are you having fun?" Quino asked, stopping by the side of the boat. It was still day time, the clouds overhead and sea below the only familiar sights to Quino throughout her adventure. She had gone to many places since she had sought out to find her adoptive mother, and Quino had no idea what brought her down this path. For the first time in a long time, Quino felt safe to be close to people. She would have never thought that she'd find people she could become friends with in the Hunter Exam. As she looked up to the sky, and its blue skies, she hoped it would still be that way by the time they got to Zevil Island.

"Yeah," Gon said, a smile on his face.

"Despite all the craziness, I'm kind of having fun," Quino said, sighing.

"Is something wrong?" Gon asked, glancing at Quino's slightly worried expression.

Lots, but I'm not going to drag you into all of my issues, Quino thought as she tried to pull off a smile.

"I've just been thinking about what I would do after all of this. I'm having so much fun, more than I've had in a while, but I still need to find my mother. She's somewhere out there, and I need to find her," Quino stated, a sad look in her eyes.

"You'll find her someday," Gon said, giving a wide smile to Quino.

"That's not what's wrong. It's this that's wrong. I'm going to miss this. When this is over, when we pass the Hunter Exam, we won't all be together anymore. We'll go our separate ways. That's what I'm sad about," Quino explained, her eyes still glued to the sky.

"We'll see each other again," Gon said. Quino looked at the boy and couldn't help the smile that made its way to her face as she saw the determined and hopeful look in his eyes.

"Maybe. I'll miss this, that's all," Quino stated, leaning on the railing and watching the clouds in the sky roll by. They both stood in silence, enjoying the view that the sky gave them. She glanced at Gon to see the smile he had on while he watched the clouds. Quino looked down at the sea, the water glistening in the sunlight. She wondered what it would be like to be part of the vast sea, or the far-reaching sky. Would it feel more freeing? Less complicated?

"Do you know who your dad is?"

Quino whipped her head back to Gon, surprised at the sudden break of the silence that overcame them.

"No," Quino stated, the surprise on her face replaced with a blank stare, "I don't know who my dad is. Or my real mom. I try to remember them, but I can only seem to remember their voices. That's why I know my mom's not my real mom. One day she said so herself."

"Do you feel sad about that?"

"No," Quino started, "I don't really care who my real parents are. I don't know if they died or just abandoned me. Mother never went into details. Do you want to find your dad?"

"Maybe. I want to feel what he felt when he became a Hunter. I want to know what it's like to be a Hunter."

"Are you angry at him? For abandoning you?"

Gon shook his head. "No. I just want to feel what he feels. It must be really great if he left."

Quino sighed. "I hate to say this, Gon, but he might've left because he just couldn't take care of you _and_ do his job."

"You think so?"

Muttering under her breath, Quino decided it was a good time as any to change the subject before she hurt his feelings. "I don't really know. I don't know what goes through your dad's head. I'm not him. What I do know, though, is that this is a beautiful day."

"Yeah, the breeze is really nice," Gon said. He extended his hand up into the air, feeling the wind brush against it.

"Who are you hunting down?"

Gon looked nervous suddenly, and Quino couldn't help the worry worming its way into her.

"Please, tell me. I could help, maybe," Quino said. She knew, though, that it was unlikely that she could actually help all that much. She felt weak, and pathetic. So far she had only survived because she was getting help. She wouldn't have made it this far without her group of friends and the unlikely alliance.

Gon took out the badge that had his target's number from his pant pocket and showed it to Quino. She gasped.

#44. Hisoka. That's horrible luck, Quino thought as she lightly bit her lip.

"Gon…" Quino started, but was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry. You have the worst luck. You must be terrified."

"A little. But I'm also excited."

Excited? Gon is suspiciously starting to sound more Hisoka-like. Question is: why?

"Why are you excited?"

"I don't know why," Gon admitted.

You're so complicated and yet so simple, Gon. You're making this more difficult than it needs to be.

"Well, either way, good luck on getting Hisoka's badge. I'm probably going to spend a lot of time trying to find out who my target is," Quino said with a sigh.

"Who did you get?"

Quino fished for the lot that she drew and pulled it out. She gave Gon the lot and let him take a good look at it.

"#320? I don't know who that is," Gon said.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Probably some nameless guy who's not exactly tough. But that makes it _much_ harder to locate him," Quino said with a huff.

"Maybe we could ask around and find out who #320 is," Gon suggested.

Quino quirked an eyebrow up, finding amusement in Gon's suggestion. "Gon, I doubt anybody is going to spoon feed us."

"Of course they won't spoon feed us. I'm talking about finding someone," Gon said.

Quino laughed, and Gon didn't understand why she was laughing. This continued for some time until Quino finally managed to settle down.

"I meant to say that I don't think anybody will tell us who #320 is."

"How do you know that if you haven't tried?"

"Well, part of this test is finding out who you're hunting and getting their badge, right? Besides, I got to find out myself, with my own way. Thanks for the help, though, Gon," Quino explained.

"Oh, okay," Gon said, looking a little defeated.

"Hey, maybe you could help me find who I'm looking for when you've gotten Hisoka's badge," Quino said. She didn't want to say that, but she wanted to cheer Gon up. Just as she had predicted, she lit that fire that lay dormant in him back up and it showed in his eyes. Quino would admit to anyone who asked that she loved a determined Gon. "Let's go back. Maybe we could discuss strategies with everybody else."

Before Gon could comment or say anything to her suggestion, Quino grabbed his arm and dragged him back toward the group.

* * *

Hey everybody!

It feels a lot better to know that I don't have to post more than one chapter today. Also, I'm still sick (though I would like to make note that I only have to deal with phlegm now). Ya know, I'm pretty happy with this chapter too. Though I think it's more to do with Quino torn between feeling safe now that she has friends and feeling stressed since she knows that she will have to part from her friends someday (thus ripping that feeling of safety away from her). She realizes that that's a part of life, and she's torn about that fact.

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**.

So, apparently, I didn't post this chapter when I thought I did. Hmm. Well, enjoy an extra chapter. Bye peeps!


	30. A x Truth x Revealed

Primna watched as two of the four children in her "inner circle" left the rather uncomfortable Killua with a surprisingly calm Malli.

"Do you still want to become a doctor, Leorio?" Primna asked casually, leaning her weight on the railing on the boat.

Leorio turned his attention toward Primna, a serious expression on his face.

"I'm not sure," he responded.

Primna sighed, suddenly feeling weary of the babysitter persona that she constantly wore around her group.

I'm getting tired of this, of hiding. But would they trust me if I started acting like myself? Would they accept me for who I am, for what I've become? Would they kick me out of the team if they knew the real me?

"I think you should pursue that dream of yours," Primna said, a sad and wistful look reaching her eyes.

"Is something wrong, Primna? Stress could make you have a panic attack again," Leorio said. Primna couldn't help but smile warmly at his hospitality.

He really should become a doctor. He would be a good one.

"Don't worry, I'm not stressed," Primna said, her vague response making Leorio frown at her.

"Then what's wrong?"

Primna glanced at Leorio, feeling hesitant for once about what her next move should be.

"...What if I told you that I've been faking things this entire time?" Primna started, mentally debating whether she should continue or not.

"You mean lying to us?" Leorio asked, looking confused rather than hurt.

"...No. I haven't been lying to you guys, not with my words. It's how I'm _acting_ ," Primna said, her sweet smile replaced by a scowl. The gentleness, while still there, was mostly swept away by the scowl. "I'm not how you see me as right now. Nice is hardly in my vocabulary." She chuckled, earning another frown from Leorio.

"You lie and hide a lot," Leorio said, looking away from Primna.

"I've done that my entire life: hiding and lying. Throughout the years what I hide from or lie about has always changed, but those two things are a constant presence in my life."

"Why don't you be honest with us?" Primna heard the hurt in his voice, making her feel guilty for once in her life.

"You were already suspicious of me. I felt I needed to put on that persona to win your trust," Primna explained calmly despite the rampant dread threatening to drown her. She felt the urge to bite her lip.

The few seconds of silence that occurred between them made Primna feel like she made the worst decision of her life just now by confessing her late uncomfortability with acting the way she was in the group.

"What are you really like, then?"

Primna looked back at Leorio, meeting his gaze. "I scowl a lot. And I'm usually cruelly blunt. I used to be _horrible_ with children because I'd make them cry until I realized what I was doing wrong when I babysat. I like to mess with people's brains, make them doubt or think twice about something they were one hundred percent certain of. I enjoy other people's despair and pain. I'm not a nice person, Leorio. And I'm _certainly_ someone you shouldn't trust."

She was only met with silence, and it killed her that she felt rejected. Rejection had never bothered her as much as it did now. When she heard a sigh, she looked at Leorio and saw the torn look in his eyes.

He probably thinks I'm disgusting. I have no doubt in my mind that he probably hates me. He's such a nice guy, I could see him rejecting something that was obviously not nice.

"Primna," Leorio said, sighing again.

"I get it. I know all of that probably sounds disgusting to you," Primna said, getting up from her spot on the boat. She felt a hand grab her wrist, stopping her from getting up fully.

"Wait."

Primna stopped in her tracks, waiting for Leorio to collect his thoughts.

"I'm not sure how to feel about what you've said. But I'm more angry at you about hiding how you really are than about you being you," Leorio said, meeting her vulnerable gaze.

"I just needed to gain your trust. I knew if I didn't act harmless that you'd push me away, and I couldn't allow that to happen. But I 'll admit that my intentions when joining your group was surprisingly pure. I saw children who were going to possibly get hurt and I acted. For some reason I grew attached to you lot and decided to follow you guys."

"You joined us because you wanted to protect Gon and Quino?" Leorio sounded like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"If I hadn't had a soft spot for children, then it's likely I wouldn't have joined you guys in the first place," Primna said, feeling exposed under Leorio's angry gaze. She could tell he was trying not to blow up from the betrayal that he must've felt.

Leorio sighed, then said, "Thanks."

Now it was Primna's turn to be confused. "Thanks? For what? Didn't I make you angry just now?"

"Yeah, but you came clean. I know deep down you're probably a nice person."

"Leorio, please don't try to redeem me. I know myself better than you do. I used to hurt a lot of people. Sometimes animals too. I was an awful child, and I can't say I'm any better now," Primna said with a sigh.

"Well, I'm not seeing you hurting a lot of people now," Leorio pointed out.

Primna chuckled. "Leorio, I can't just go on a killing spree right now. Besides, it'd be stupid of me to try and take everybody out right now. Too boring," Primna said with a devilish grin.

"Boring? You'd be killing people!"

"You and I have different views, Leorio. You're a good guy, and I doubt you'd hurt a fly. I would hurt a fly in a heartbeat if it'd benefit me in any way. Killing everybody right now wouldn't benefit me at all. In fact, it would probably do the opposite," Primna said, a scowl on her lips.

"I…"

"You don't have to say anything, Leorio. I know you're confused, and I definitely know that your righteousness would conflict with my way of life. So instead of getting into a potential fight, let's just get on a different subject," Primna said, a small smile breaking through her scowl.

"But–"

"I hope you make it. I think I'd be really disappointed if you didn't pass. And it would be best if we all split up. Take out our targets by ourselves, ya know? Little lambs have to fight for themselves eventually, after all," Primna said, getting up from her spot. Leorio was so confused and flabbergasted that he didn't move to stop Primna from leaving this time.

* * *

Hey everybody!

I'm doing just fine. Got a bit busy, but I'm still up and breathing. Anyway, this is probably the least edited chapter I've posted so far.

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter.**

I hope you have a good day/morning/afternoon/noon/evening/night and are ready to read some more chapters. Thank you for viewing, because you just viewing my work actually fills me with a sense of accomplishment (among other things). See ya next chapter. Bye peeps!


	31. Icebreakers x (&) More x Secrets

Kurapika watched as the two children left, leaving Killua and Malli together. He could tell Killua was feeling uncomfortable, and he could also hear the curt answers he gave Malli. Primna and Leorio were chatting amiably, something that Kurapika wasn't surprised with.

"So, the last Kurta, huh?"

Kurapika whipped his head toward Kuriya, who had just spoken. He eyed her with suspicion, but that didn't phase Kuriya. If anything, she expected he'd do as much.

"How does it feel to be the last of your kind?" Kuriya asked, spinning her web before her prey realized. She wanted as much information on him as possible, and what better way than to ask the prey himself?

Kurapika simply stared at her.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare? Especially after someone has asked you a question," Kuriya said to the Kurta with dispassionate eyes.

"I don't trust you," Kurapika said, making it clear to Kuriya that she probably wasn't going to get far with the current topic.

"Do you like clear blue skies or cloudy days?" Kuriya popped the question.

Kurapika rose an eyebrow at her question. "Clear blue skies."

Kuriya chuckled. "I'm more of a cloudy day type of person. What's your favorite color?"

"What are you getting at?"

Kuriya watched as the Kurta's eyes told of his suspicion.

"Is it wrong to have a chat with another?" Kuriya asked, wondering what he'll do next.

"Not with strangers," Kurapika retorted.

"Hmm, true. How can I become a friend instead of a stranger if you won't allow me the opportunity, though?" Kuriya threw, watching the Kurta carefully.

Kurapika pursed his lips.

Kuriya smirked at her win.

"Fine. Blue."

"Black," Kuriya replied almost immediately. "Do you want a try at asking something?"

"Who are you?" Kurapika threw.

"Asking personal questions right off the bat. You won't even humor me," Kuriya commented with a chuckle.

When she got nothing but a glare in response, Kuriya decided to answer the question. "Primna's friend, of course."

"Primna's? Wasn't Quino part of your group?" Kurapika asked, trying to find a deception in her.

"Perhaps, but I've known Primna for much longer than Quino," Kuriya explained, covering up her mistake. What Kurapika didn't know was that he was already far too deep in the web to see her slip-up for what it was.

"Being the last Kurta feels tiring," Kurapika said after a tense second.

"Tiring? Hmm, why tiring? Why not sad?" Kuriya asked, genuinely curious. Sad, she would understand. Tiring? That was something she hadn't predicted.

"I am sad, but I feel like I must avenge my people. Even though I'm doing all that, I feel tired by all the effort I've put forth from trying to find my people's lost eyes as well as tracking down the Phantom Troupe," Kurapika explained, seemingly letting his guard down.

"That does sound tiring. Don't you think going after the Phantom Troupe is suicidal, though?"

"They massacred my people. No matter who they are, I'll take them down either by killing them or sending them to jail," Kurapika said with fire in his eyes. She knew that there would be nothing that would stop his vengeful quest.

"You know how I said that I wanted to prove myself to my father? I feel tired from doing that. Everything feels tiresome to me these days," Kuriya said, glancing away from Kurapika to survey the people around her. She spotted yellow eyes glaring at Killua and couldn't help the smirk that forced its way to her lips. "You know, despite my father being overprotective, it has a few perks."

Kurapika looked confused at the sudden change in conversation. "What would those perks be?"

"One of them is the fact he'd probably hunt down any potential love interests of mine. It almost makes me want to laugh at that imagery," Kuriya said with a rare fondness in her eyes. "What were your parents like?"

Kurapika narrowed his eyes at Kuriya.

"Oh, sorry, I suppose that's personal. On another note, it's entertaining to watch Killua's obvious discomfort around Malli. Yet she has no idea she affects him that way."

"Yeah," was Kurapika's only response.

Curious why he answered in such a curt but absentminded manner, Kuriya switched her gaze from Killua and Malli to Kurapika. She saw him staring at her. There was a silence that felt borderline uncomfortable to Kuriya, and she wasn't sure why he was staring at her.

"Who are you?"

Kuriya licked her lips and pondered what to say. She knew what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear about where she comes from, her background, rather than she being a friend of Primna's. The question is, would she tell him?

"...I," Kuriya said, hesitating, "don't think I should tell you."

"Trust is mutual," Kurapika said.

"Do you trust me, Kurapika?"

A pause, then, "No."

"Why should I give out information I am uncomfortable giving out?" Kuriya asked, trying to disarm his suspicions.

"That's suspicious," Kurapika said, eyes narrowing.

"Perhaps," Kuriya said, not saying anything more on the subject.

"At least tell me where you came from," Kurapika said. Despite the Kurta's attempt at making it sound like a suggestion, Kuriya knew it was more like a command. She felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Meteor City," Kuriya muttered before she was even aware she had said anything. She closed her eyes and gave out a quiet sigh. "That's where I was born. However, I travel a lot. There's no one place I call 'home'."

"Why are you really taking the Hunter Exam?" Kurapika asked, wanting more than she was giving.

Kuriya bit her lip, "I have my reasons, though proving myself to my father is one of them."

Kurapika watched as Kuriya got up from where she sat.

"Thank you for entertaining me. I must be going, however," Kuriya said, walking away. He watched her, still feeling suspicious of her, but feeling less than he was earlier.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So, remember when I said that there will be a chapter that had mentioning of cutting. Well, it doesn't explicitly say, but if you put two and two together you'll be able to recognize it. It's kinda obvious. Yeah, that's the next chapter. Like I said, I'll put warnings and all, but you can't get angry at me for doing something that turns out to be a vital event in the future.

On another note, I not only extended this chapter but made more suspense (I think). Honestly, I like every single one of the pairings. Between Quino wanting more time with Gon but letting Killua take most of Gon's attention/time, Malli's obsession with Killua making him outrageously uncomfortable, Leorio and Primna's rather abrupt personalities colliding with only Primna's current panic attack keeping Leorio's rage at bay, Kuriya and Kurapika eyeing each other even though their technically enemies and therefore would be eyeing each other over enemy territory; I think it's safe to say that all of them are having a rocky relationship right now.

 **I do not own Hunter x Hunter**.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and are looking forward to future chapters. Bye peeps!


	32. Don't x See x This

Hey everybody!

You may ask: why have I been gone for so long? Well, unexpected family... issues have sprung up. Yeah, real interesting stuff going on in my life (and babysitting thrust into my face). Anyway, sorry for being gone for so long.

Okay, when you see ***Warning*** that means that the bloody scenario (involving cutting) is there. It'll be there twice so that way you'll know where it starts and where it ends. I don't think it's bad at all, but I'll let you decide that and give you an option to skip it.

With that said, I hope you enjoy. I'll be posting another chapter right after this. And I probably won't post anymore until Monday.

* * *

Quino surveyed her group.

Her eyes first laid on Kurapika who had his eyes closed. Despite the serene look, Quino could tell that he was most likely thinking rather than taking a nap.

Quino then glanced at Gon and Killua. The two were chatting amiably as always with Gon animatedly waving his arms around and Killua watching earnestly. Malli wasn't around, but Quino did catch her chatting with Gon and Killua for a little bit. Of course, after Quino and Gon had come back.

She couldn't find Primna and she had no idea where Primna went to. However, Quino had seen where Primna had disappeared to. Quino didn't want to bother her. She knew that Primna could defend herself if she needed to. Quino was still worried about her anyway.

She knew that Kuriya was gone. Quino had watched Kuriya leave in the direction Primna had gone so she assumed that Kuriya was going to talk to Primna about something. Or maybe it's coincidence? Quino didn't know, but she found herself not really caring about that.

There was one thing that piqued her interest the most. Leorio was unusually quiet. Quino knew that Leorio and Primna had chatted with each other, which only made his silence on the more intriguing to her.

I wonder if he got into a spat with Kurapika recently, Quino thought as she observed the quiet Leorio. But something told her that it wasn't Kurapika he butted heads with.

She looked around at her surroundings again and admitted something that she dreaded to admit to herself. For once in her life, Quino felt bored. Usually she'd be too scared or too excited to feel bored, but felt safe with Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, and even Killua nearby.

I never thought feeling safe like this could make me experience boredom, Quino thought as she sighed. What should I do for the next hour and a half? I could talk with Kurapika. But I don't want to disturb him. Maybe Leorio? Then again, usually you leave him alone to cool off if he gets mad. Gon and Killua? I'd probably be just listening in to their conversation instead of actually talking. Oh, maybe I should look for Primna. That's what I'll do!

Standing up, Quino walked around the area, intent on finding where Primna was.

 ***Warning***

After about 30 minutes of searching, a pained gasp reached her ears. Quino walked over to a secluded spot on the boat, a place that could be easily overlooked. It was shrouded in darkness, the only place that the light couldn't reach. Another pain gasped reached Quino's ears, and she wondered if she should go any closer.

I hope ghosts don't exist, Quino thought, feeling fear trickling down her nerves. She would've chastised herself for thinking that, but she was too scared.

When she got closer, she almost wished she hadn't. There, almost covered in the darkness completely, was Primna. That wasn't what alarmed her though.

"...Primna?"

Whipping her head up from what she was doing, Primna froze when she met Quino's eyes.

"Quino? Um, this… you shouldn't be here. Why are you here?"

She could tell that Primna was panicking. Both of their eyes were wide, Quino in shock and Primna in surprise. Primna dropped the knife in her hand and moved her arm out of a dumbstruck Quino's view.

"Why are you bloody? What were you doing with that knife?" Quino asked, her mouth suddenly feeling dry.

"Oh god, you weren't supposed to see that," Primna muttered, trying her best to hide the evidence even though it didn't matter. After all, Quino had already seen it, the memory branded into her mind. Of course, at this time in her life, Quino didn't know what she was actually doing.

 ***Warning***

"Are you okay?" Quino asked, still uncertain of what was happening at that moment.

Primna sighed, and Quino watched as she got up from the ground. She noticed that Primna looked pale.

"I'm going to ask Leorio–"

"No!"

Quino flinched, taken aback by Primna's outburst. Primna looked so vulnerable right now that Quino wasn't sure what to do in this situation.

"I'll be fine. Trust me. This… isn't the first time. Just don't tell anyone," Primna said, her voice mustering as much authority as it could in her shaken state. Quino nodded in response, deciding to heed to her command even though she was absolutely confused.

Primna walked away, bloody knife in hand and long-sleeve shirt covering evidence on her arm. All the while Quino just stood there, unable to wrap her head around what had just happened.


	33. Moments x Worth x Remembering

"Malli," a voice called from behind her. She almost jumped and shrieked from the call despite the familiarity.

"Um, yeah?" Malli asked hesitantly.

"What were you doing with that boy?"

Malli felt her lip quiver. She remembered what happened every time he had that tone with her. It was that biting tone, and those eyes filled with malice, that sent her hairs on end.

"I was just talking to him, that's all," Malli said, turning around to face her dad.

His eyes narrowed, as if he wasn't pleased at all with her response.

"Dad–"

"I warned you about him, but you keep going to him anyway. What will it take for you to get it?"

"Dad, please! I know it's dangerous but I can't help what I feel. I–"

"Love him?" Hisoka remarked snidely. "You're too young to understand what you're feeling."

"No, I'm not. How would you know what love feels like anyway?" Malli retorted, pointing an accusing finger at Hisoka.

He sighed. "I may not have felt love for your mother, but I've come to feel protective over you. Is that love?"

"You want to keep me safe," Malli said, her eyes looking down to the ground, "maybe that's what love is. I know I want to make sure Killua is safe. And happy. Do you want to make me happy too?"

There was no response, and Malli felt as if it was useless. She felt like no matter how she went about it, Hisoka would never understand.

"I didn't like it when you cried."

Malli picked up her head at the sudden confession.

Did I hear that right?

"You don't like it… when I cry?" Malli asked, sounding as if she didn't believe what she heard. She would admit that that was exactly what she felt: disbelief.

"No, I don't. I don't like it when you don't smile, you don't laugh, you don't run around."

Malli smiled upon hearing him tell her this.

"Maybe both of us don't really understand what love is like," Malli commented, approaching Hisoka.

He simply watched as she came closer to him. When she was right in front of him, she grabbed his hand. She felt him tense under her hand, watched as his sharp nails drew blood from her hand.

"I know you don't want me to reveal that you're my dad, but I want you to know that I'm not scared of you. Not really. I don't want you to think I'm terrified of you. You're my dad, and I love you. That's why I know what love is. I might just have a silly little crush on Killua, and maybe in the future I'll love him even more than that, but I want you to know that I'll always be proud of calling you 'Dad'. Even if you accidentally hurt me," Malli said, her eyes soft and warm; the smile on her lips even warmer.

Hisoka found that Malli looked and acted much like her mother in that moment.

XXX

"Uncle Fei, how are you?" Kuriya asked, watching as the clouds rolled by. She was bored up until this point, not certain of what to do for the next hour and a half. After that little conversation with Kurapika, she didn't know what to do with herself. Then she thought of what she used to do whenever she got bored back when the Phantom Troupe members were all around.

"Fine. You went to the Hunter Exam."

Kuriya grinned. "I did. What do you think about that?"

"You're growing. Why?"

"I wanted to prove to my father that I'm capable of defending myself. But I wanted to check out the competition."

"Anyone important?"

"A few. Hisoka's here. Illumi Zoldyck is here as well, however he's under a strange disguise. Killua Zoldyck is also here; he's unaware that his eldest brother is taking the exam too. Malli– you remember her, right? She's taking the exam, though she stumbled upon it by accident. Primna is also here, you know her as my 'business partner'. Last, but certainly not least, is the last Kurta."

"Last Kurta? Survived."

"Yes, there is one more Kurta and he happens to be taking the Hunter Exam," Kuriya said, thankful that she wasn't talking to her uncle in person. She was certain her hesitancy would've been spotted immediately by him. There was no doubt in her mind that he would've known she was hesitating about informing him about the Kurta.

"Kill?"

"Not yet. There are too many witnesses. Would it be bad if I waited until he comes to us?" Kuriya asked, hoping that he would agree.

"If he finds out, kill. Leave him otherwise." Kuriya momentarily felt herself panic when she thought that he could hear her hope.

"Got it," Kuriya replied, dismissing her panic and finding herself softly smiling. Her uncle Fei was her favorite. Out of all the Spiders, he was the one who spoiled her the most. Whenever she talked to him, she usually got what she wanted.

"Kuriya."

"Yeah, Uncle Fei?"

"Don't get attached."

 **Emotions will only get in the way.**

Kuriya told herself that it could be a simple reminder. That what he had said wasn't him somehow reading her inner thoughts over the phone. "Of course, Uncle Fei," Kuriya replied.

"Bye."

"Bye," Kuriya said, hanging up the phone. She found herself staring at the sky above her, wondering what to do with herself. She knew, but she didn't know what to do about it.

I'm sorry, Uncle Fei, Father, my family. These feelings I may have may lead to our undoing.


	34. First x Day x Activities

"Thanks for you patience, everyone. We've finally arrived to Zevil Island. Now, please go in the order by which you cleared the Third Phase," the woman announced. "As each person goes, we'll wait two minutes before the next person goes. You will stay on this island for exactly one week. During that time, you must amass your six points of ID tags and return here. With that said, the first person may start!"

Quino watched as each person passed, her mind trying to figure out who her target could be. No matter how hard she tried, however, she couldn't figure it out.

If you think about it though, there's no way to tell, Quino thought as she eyed the applicants. I'll just have to rummage through everybody's pockets. I hope that that the person who I have to hunt isn't too dangerous. Like Hisoka. Quino shivered at the mention of the name. Gon has his work cut out for him.

Before she knew it, it was time for herself, Primna, Kuriya, and Malli to go.

Malli went first, waving toward Kurapika, Killua, Leorio, and Quino before rushing into the forest in a carefree run. Kuriya went after, not a word of encouragement or good luck leaving her lips. Primna was next and she walked toward the forest with a calm manner, but not before wishing luck for her group. Next was Quino's turn.

"Bye guys, good luck on getting your targets," Quino said, charging into the forest. The wind felt good against Quino's skin and she relished in the fresh air that reminded her of her brief visit in Whale Island. She wished she would've stayed and visited for a little longer.

"Well, I guess I should look around and see if I can find out who #320 is," Quino said out loud to herself.

I should probably keep quiet though, Quino mused.

With that in mind, Quino trekked through the forest in a careful, quiet manner. However, what she didn't realize was that someone already had their eyes set on her.

XXX

Stalking through the tall grass, Malli watched as an applicant walked toward a destination unknown to her. For once, Malli wasn't near Kuriya. Partly due to the fact that she didn't want to be found by anyone, including Kuriya. Just like she was self-conscious when she was eating in front of others, she was also self-conscious of killing in front of others.

Maybe when this is over I should dye my hair so that way it doesn't pop out so much, Malli thought as she caught sight of her own violet hair contrasting greatly with the green grass. This grass isn't making hunting any easier.

She ducked her head out of view just in time for the person she was hunting to look behind him. Malli hoped he didn't spot her bright violet hair among the dark green grass. Fortunately, the guy didn't seem to spot anything out of place and continued to trek through the tall grass. Malli counted her lucky stars.

Killing would be easier, Malli thought, following after the guy. Stealing is more my forte though. How to pull that off when I don't know where he hid it is the question, though…

Forming a plan, Malli stalked closer to her target. She got closer and closer, the guy unaware of the predator just behind him.

Pockets are the usual spot for someone to hide something, aside from purses and bags obviously. But that also means that that's the place that people might avoid stashing valuable stuff in. Where else would they put it, though?

Getting her hand ready to quickly, and carefully, steal, she failed to notice the person a few feet behind her. Just as she was about to reach out, an arrow whizzed past her head. The guy in front of her turned around just in time to dodge the fatal blow, the arrow nicking him in the shoulder. The man was about to retort that he dodged the blow, but was cut short when he fell down and started shaking.

Taking her chance, Malli quickly fished through the guy's pockets as a voice from behind signaled how closer the person behind her was getting with each step he took.

Success!

Going to the right, Malli slipped into the tall grass and remained out of view of the archer that had just taken down the guy. She noticed the frown that marred the archer's face when he realized that the guy's tag was no longer on him. The archer left soon after.

I can't believe my luck. That was way too close for comfort, Malli thought as she moved the tag in view. #105. Not my number. Oh well.

Malli trekked through the tall grass, mindful to watch her surroundings for any sudden ambushes.

XXX

Primna sighed as she allowed herself to relax on the stump that she leaned on. Her legs were sprawled out in front of her, her head touching the top of the stump. She ignored the red butterflies that flitted around her, most resting on her arms. There were many of them, and she wondered why they were there.

Wait… these butterflies are familiar. Aren't they…? Yes, they're attracted to the scent of blood. So that's why.

She was aware of the sniper looking at her, but she ignored it for the time being. Primna wasn't afraid of her.

I'm more afraid of Hisoka, and that weird man whose head keeps shaking, Primna thought as she closed her eyes. It's such a beautiful day. The sun feels really nice on my skin, and the breeze feels nice too. Even the grass feels soft and nice on my legs.

Primna sighed, sensing the sniper's patience wearing thin. She put one of her hands in her pants' pocket, grabbing one of the sewing pins secretly hidden there. Before the sniper pulled the trigger, Primna quickly got up and threw her pin in the rifle's scope. She sighed, feeling a tension that she had gotten used to lifting from her shoulders.

Ah, it feels good to be alive. I almost forgot what it was like to kill. I feel so… good. This feeling is… amazing. I… I want more. I want to forget. I want to feel blood on my hands again. I want more.

Before she realized it, Primna was consumed by the bloodlust that had hibernated for some time deep within her soul. Instead of fighting against it like she had in the past few months, she embraced it. It was an all-consuming exhilaration that Primna wanted to feel again. The ecstasy she got from killing, from tormenting, from pain made her feel alive. To her, it was a welcomed drug.

The bloodlust moved her feet to a destination unknown to her. All that was in her mind was one word that repeated in her head like a mantra: kill.

XXX

Kuriya watched her target closely, the monkey on the guy's shoulder serving as a slight distraction to her. Something about it made Kuriya scowl.

Was it the happiness surrounding the two in such a dangerous place that made her angry? Maybe it was the way the monkey kept on making repulsive actions that made Kuriya irritated. Or maybe it was the guy who made her irritated. She wasn't sure what it was, but she felt like killing both of them. That itch to kill was threatening to overtake her whole being.

To make matters worse, the guy had encountered another that was equally as revolting.

It's as if fate wants me to kill all of them, Kuriya thought as she gripped the katana sheathed on her hip.

Kuriya noted that they didn't attack each other, but instead seemed to be on friendly terms. Then they whipped their heads around, facing the opposite direction of where Kuriya was. They whispered amongst themselves before quickly splitting off into different directions. Kuriya noticed that they had exchanged badges just before splitting off.

Switching badges with each other? What would they gain from that?

Stalking towards the fat man, because she'd rather deal with one target than two, she hid in the flora and plotted what her next move was.

She saw something out of the corner of her eye and noticed the Kurta was stationed not too far from where she was at, his eyes solely trained on the fat man.

The Kurta is here. I could take him out now, he's alone. None would be the wiser. I doubt they'd even think it was me who did it.

Before she knew it, Kurapika made eye contact with Kuriya.

Well, there goes that plan. Why did you think about it? The Scarlet Eyes are right there, begging to be taken. Hesitation will lead to missed opportunities, such as this.

"What are you doing here, Kuriya?"

Broken out of her thoughts, her eyes focused on Kurapika. "Hunting. Isn't that obvious?"

Kurapika's eyes were focused on the fat man's figure, but she could tell that he was all ears. "He's my target."

"Would you like assistance?"

"No," Kurapika said, moving closer to the guy.

"He doesn't have his badge. He swapped his badge with another," Kuriya said.

Why am I helping him?

Kurapika looked back at Kuriya. "I know. But I'm going to see if Leorio can handle himself."

Recognizing the name as one of Kurapika's allies, Kuriya looked back where the fat man was and saw that the guy with the monkey was also there, with an angry Leorio. Before she could comment on it, Kurapika zoomed passed.

Kuriya sighed, deciding on making her presence known to them as well.

"What will you do against three opponents?"

The fat man looked at her, his face paling upon seeing her. "Y-you're Kuriya! The Spider's–"

His head rolled off his body, blood squirting out of it. Kuriya calmly turned her attention toward the man with the monkey. The terror written on his face was borderline hysterical to her. If she were a lesser being, she would've laughed at the scene.

Before Kuriya could kill the man as well, Kurapika knocked out the guy.

"That's the one that has the badge you're looking for," Kuriya said, wiping her katana on the grass in an effort to get as much blood off as possible.

"Y-you killed him," Leorio stuttered, pointing at Kuriya with ill-concealed fear.

"I did. Anything else you'd like to point out?"

"He knew you," Kurapika stated. Leorio's mouth was still open, but no sound came out of it.

"Unexpected, but yes, he did," Kuriya said. She inspected the blade and felt content with its state, sheathing the katana back on her hip.

"What relations do you have with the Spider?"

Kuriya felt a shiver go down her spine when she heard the malice in Kurapika's voice. She spared a glance at him, and she saw his eyes had turned scarlet.

Those eyes. I want them. I want them to myself.

"Who are you, Kuriya?"

Kuriya looked at the Kurta with a blank stare. She could tell he was getting irritated by the fact that she wasn't saying anything, but she honestly didn't know what to say.

"Do you hate the Spider?"

"Yes," Kurapika responded immediately to Kuriya's question.

"Say if I had familial relations to the Spider. What would you do?"

Kurapika sent a smoldering glare at Kuriya. "I would kill you."

"Even if I was simply a daughter of a Spider, but not quite in the Phantom Troupe?"

Kurapika clenched his jaw, a cross between annoyance and contemplation in his eyes.

"I don't have a tattoo. I'm not part of the Phantom Troupe. But one of the members is my father," Kuriya said.

I'm telling the truth. I don't have a Spider tattoo, yet. I'm not part of the Phantom Troupe, yet. He just doesn't know that I'll be one in the future.

"Besides, I wasn't there when your clan members were killed," Kuriya added.

Kurapika looked very angry, but he didn't move to strike her. He simply glared at her. No words were exchanged for a while, Kurapika's anger sending Kuriya into a defensive stance in case he would attack her and Leorio simply watched on. Leorio proved to be smart enough not to say something stupid to incur Kurapika's wrath.

"One thing, Kuriya," Kurapika said, making Kuriya stop her mental plotting. "If you hurt any of my friends, you'll pay."

Kuriya simply nodded in response, quickly sprinting away from the scene. She couldn't help but wonder why his words right then had hurt her.

* * *

Hey, everybody!

So, I haven't been uploading as much as I have wanted to. And I'm prepared for all flames that may come my way for not uploading as much like I'd said I would. I'm not giving up on this fanfic, I've just been distracted by my other stories (fanfiction and original) and I wanted to let you know that I might be uploading a Bleach fanfic in the near future. So check that out if you're interested.

With that said, I think I'm going to post chapters for this fanfic on Wednesdays. Of course, I may end up posting far more frequently than once a week but I'll leave that up to my motivation and free-time.

Also, I've noticed that one of the reasons why I become a bit stressed with uploading this story is because of my flooded email that I have to fish through to see all the emails pertaining to . So I've now officially made a new email just for this. I may even start using other sites (such as Wattpad or Archive of our Own) to increase my range of viewers. Though I might not do this, so we'll see.

So I'm posting this mega chapter just for you dear readers. I don't expect you guys to type of a response but do you think I should branch out to other sites? I'll continue on this site, of course, but maybe it would be good to use other sites as well.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the future chapters to come. Sorry I've been MIA for a while, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to _at least_ post once a week. Thanks for taking your time in reading this fanfic and I hope you can forgive me for being distracted and busy with a lot of things in my life right now. See you in the next chapter!


	35. Primna's x Crippling x Bloodlust

Primna scoured her surroundings, the adrenaline and rush in her veins inciting an excitement that she hadn't allowed herself to feel in quite a while. Despite her frayed mind, she knew that she shouldn't succumb completely to it. To her bloodlust. But it was like a drug. Bloodlust was a drug that she had withdrawn from, and she had gotten over the temptation of going back to those bloody days. Primna knew she shouldn't, but she found her lips going back to that same drug before she knew it. Now she was hooked on it, just like she was as a little girl, all over again.

A little girl... that brings memories.

She remembered when she played with the other children. Her father had always warned her not to get too excited, not to get too happy. Primna had always wondered why.

Why did he always say that? Was I supposed to not be happy? Supposed to not feel excited? Did he want me to continue to feel dead and broken inside? He loved my pain. My suffering. But back then... all those warnings... for once he was sincere. Those few moments made me wonder if he actually did care about me in his own way.

She had gotten too happy. Too excited. And it always ended with blood on her hands. Primna always believed it was normal. It always happened, and she honestly was never told otherwise. Until the blood on her hands wasn't from the usual animal she picked up. The first time she had another human's blood on her hands, she would never forget that moment. Primna was too happy, too excited, and it ended up with a child's death. From then on, the other children weren't allowed to play with her.

Now it makes sense, though. Killing people isn't 'normal'. Or, at least to the world it isn't. But what really defines normal? The majority? What about Hunters? They could kill and hunt down people but they don't get into trouble. So what made them so different from me? All I'm doing is hunting too...

Primna grabbed the man's neck and squeezed. She heard the man's choking, his silent pleas of mercy, but there was not a drop of mercy in her. The drug called bloodlust had completely taken over her body. Primna was a puppet controlled by Bloodlust's strings. The man went silent, his lips blue from the lack of oxygen. She threw him away like he was a bothersome insect, his body meeting the ground with a harsh thud. Primna licked her lips, savoring the spilt blood on them.

All I want is someone to accept me. No, no, I want much more than that. Loving acceptance. Yes, that's it. Father accepted me for who I was, but with apathy. He knew that I would have the same issues with bloodlust like he did. He knew that I would come to revel in the blood spilt from my enemies, and innocents. But he also knew, that I wouldn't have a psychopathic heart. Yes, my soul craves to spill blood, but my heart weeps in sorrow every time I do so. He always said I had my mother's heart. And this heart... it craves to be loved. It also craves _to_ love. But how can I when I hack down everything around me?

Primna's eyes, a dark emerald, looked up at the sky. It was dark now, but it was also raining. Her body shivered, but she didn't feel cold. The temperature drop simply wasn't registering. Her mind, the only real thing she had control of right now, was elsewhere. It was trapped deep within herself.

I wonder what's happening. How much time has passed? How many days has it been? Will I snap out of this haze before time runs out? Will I ever snap out of this?

That thought terrified Primna.

What if I never stop? What if I run into Gon? Killua? Quino? Kurapika? God forbid Leorio. I need to wake up. I need to go back. Back? What would I go back to? If Leorio can't even accept me... then who could? Maybe I misjudged him. Maybe he isn't as accepting as I thought he would be. Or maybe I was just assuming. Assuming anyone but my father could accept me.

There it was again, that depression that caused Primna to spiral back into her bloodlust. She couldn't help it though. The depression dampened the hurt in her heart.

I should've listened to father. He warned me about people. He warned me not to jump to conclusions, to not assume someone was something when they didn't even say they were. But what did I do? The exact opposite. Now, I was back to being vulnerable to my own bloodlust. It took me a while to have some sort of restraint over it, nevermind full control. All that progress, gone...

Primna's lip parted ever so slightly, and let out a sigh. She leaned on one of the many trees surrounding her and allowed her body to slide down. Even though she felt her shirt ride up, felt the splinters digging themselves into her flesh, she ignored the sensations. She closed her eyes, and rested. However, her mind was still active.

I'm getting bored, being trapped inside here. If I struggled enough, would I break free? I'll probably just go back to my homeland. To the Dark Continent. I would go back to being used as a tool to protect the village I grew up in. At least they would rejoice that they were completely and utterly safe again. I'd never once failed to save one of the villagers. Though I suppose my father accomplished the same thing.

This brought a certain thought to mind, a question really. If she ever saw her father, she would want to ask many questions, but there was one question in particular that she absolutely wanted answered.

Why did you go? What is there outside of the Dark Continent that intrigued you so much? It's so relaxed and calm here. There's nothing exhilarating about this place. Everything here is so weak. All of these applicants, even the examiners themselves. I'm at least on the same level as the examiners. That's only being kind. I'm probably above them. They all lived such peaceful, calm lives. Well, maybe not too peaceful and calm but compared to all the chaos and danger the Dark Continent holds...

She was getting off-topic.

What was so much more intriguing here than in the Dark Continent? What was more important than...

Tears leaked down Primna's darkened eyes, making her look completely broken.

"What was so much more important than me, Father?"

The rain pelted the ground, though the tree Primna laid on was shading her from most of the onslaught. Her mind didn't know that her body shared the same sentiment. Primna didn't know she was sobbing.

XXX

He turned the page, the book he was currently reading anticipating its end. He looked out the window and saw the downpour outside. He frowned. Rain was never a welcomed sight to him.

I wonder how she's doing, he thought out of nowhere, as his eyes landed on the word 'wait'. She liked the rain. I wonder if she still does.

"Hmm, what are you reading there?"

He looked up from his book to look at the man that intrigued him the most: Chairman Netero.

"Oh, it's just a pastime read. Though I must say, I'm surprised to see you here," he bubbly commented, giving out his trademark smile. He loved how a simple smile could get on people's nerves.

"I came to see what my vice chairman was up to," Chairman Netero stated, ending it with a laugh.

"Well, I'm being a good boy, now aren't I?"

Chairman Netero narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Too good," under his breath. Despite the quiet off-handed remark, he still heard the Chairman's words. "Well, I have things to do now. Enjoy your book."

He watched the Chairman's back and narrowed his eyes. He didn't like being treated like a child.

A child... I do wonder how she's doing, he thought as his mind was brought back to his musings. Much shouldn't have changed. She always was an obedient child, and very desperate. Well, the Dark Continent should be in good hands for a while.

He inserted the bookmark in his left hand into the book he had grown bored of reading, a rare sigh leaving his lips. He closed the book and placed it on the end table, letting it rest there until he felt like putting it back. His eyes looked out the window again.

I really don't like the rain.

XXX

Primna opened her eyes, and her body began to shiver once again. Despite the tree's coverage, her clothes were drenched. Her dark eyes scanned her surroundings, ignoring the onslaught of nature's sounds. When she saw nobody, her body got up and her feet began to move her forward.

She remembered a time that felt so long ago, the time when she first had to defend the village. Her father was gone. He had disappeared well into the night, and he had told her that he wouldn't be back for some time. By this point, she was used to his disappearances. But she hadn't anticipated that the next day monsters that her father had always succeeded in fending off would attack them. At first, she wasn't confident that she could defend the village like her father could. There was a reason that only her father would step up and eradicate them. The others just didn't stand a chance against such vicious and powerful monstrosities. And if adults couldn't handle them, how could a seven year old handle them?

I was scared. I thought I was going to die. It wasn't like the villagers forced it upon me, but I stepped up myself. Just like my father, I decided that I would handle it. But I had never realized just how dangerous the creatures of the Dark Continent really were. In all honesty, Father made it look so easy. In reality, he really was just that strong. Fortunately, all the training Father had put me through gave me a winning chance. I did manage to succeed in eradicating them, but barely. I remember the villagers had helped me recover after I had collapsed from the exertion of that first fight.

Primna wondered if he had known. She wondered if he had prepared her to take over his role as the village's protector. It was then she felt guilt. She was guilty for leaving behind the village with practically nothing to defend them. Primna had decided, two years before she had left, that she would teach the other children to defend themselves in the hopes that they could take over her role as a collective group when she left. She hoped they were doing okay.

Am I selfish? I had left my village for the sake of what? Becoming a Hunter? What would I do after that? I wanted it so that way Father couldn't outright kill me. That possibility had always been in the forefront of my mind. I just can't dismiss the possibility. He was and is, by all rights, a psychopath. Yes, I love him. I love him so much that it hurts to think that he wouldn't hesitate to destroy me if I get too close to him. But what would I do with a hunter license? What would I do with it? Will I go back to my home, the Dark Continent? I should. There's people there, people who need me. Maybe I could make a call on the private line.

Primna's eyes had set on a target. She had finally found someone. She waited, watching her prey with predatory eyes. Everything in her was screaming to go and kill him. But the little vestiges of patience that had somehow bled through the haze of her bloodlust had kept her anchored there. She will wait. Wait until the right moment. She was a huntress, and the person in the distance her prey.

However, something made her body involuntarily shudder. Her eyes did not leave her prey, but she had noticed that something was off. Something whizzed past her, grazing her cheek just enough to draw blood. Primna's eyes dislodged from her prey and glanced at the alien object. It looked like a card that belonged to a deck of playing cards, the card displaying a black joker.

"My, my, you feel off today."

Primna's head twisted to look behind her, her dark eyes wide and hungry. While her mind was busy with its own thoughts, Primna's body shuddered again. It knew who was before her. The hunt just got a lot more interesting.

I wonder if I should approach the group again. This isn't the last phase of the Hunter Exam. Maybe I could hang out with the group during the last phase, then leave to the Dark Continent, with or without a hunter's license. That would be for the best, right? I think... I think I'll give them a chance. But if I'm unwelcomed, then I guess I'll go back to the Dark Continent. Then again, it's probably best if I go back there anyway. Not before giving a call though.

Primna stepped back from the next card coming at her, the object wedging itself into the ground. She lunged at her attacker, only for him to swipe a card at her. She dodged, but the card managed to nick her in the shoulder.

"You're quite skilled at dodging," he said, throwing yet another card at her. She sidestepped out of the way, the card flying into a bush. "It makes me wonder what else you're good at."

It was at this moment that Primna's mind had an inkling of what was happening in reality. She started to struggle, but her efforts were met with much resistance. Her bloodlust was making things difficult.

Something tells me that I need to wake up right now. Damn it! Why is my bloodlust fighting against me so much? Is this what it was like back then?

Primna punched her attacker but he narrowly dodged it. She sent a kick his way, which caught him off guard and made him unsteady for a split second. Of course, Primna used this split second to send a punch to the man's face. Surprisingly, it made its mark on his right cheek. He gave out a small chuckle, his eyes narrowing dangerously at her.

"Feisty today, are we?"

Grr, this is so annoying! Just let me out of here already! Haven't you spilled enough blood by now? My bloodlust is so insatiable! I have to see what's going on because I know that something big is happening right now. But how can I if I'm still so caught up in bloodlust? There's just got to be a way. Would it matter if I make a bunch of noise? Maybe it'll be like, "Alright, fine, geez." Except bloodlust doesn't have a conscious like that, let alone can be communicated with like an actual person. I think I'm starting to lose it.

"Do you recognize me in that state?" he asked as he dodged another punch from Primna's eager knuckles. He was met with no answer. "Rude."

She rushed at him but he sidestepped out of the way, causing her to run past him. Unfortunately for her, just behind him was a tree. Her body collided with the tree's strong and rough bark, eliciting a grunt of pain from her. She turned around slowly, the collision doing more damage to her than he thought it would. Still, he knew that she wouldn't give up that easy. He was experienced with the effects of bloodlust in a person.

"You really should watch where you're going," he commented.

Primna gritted her teeth and glared venomously at him, his comment irking her. She charged at him again, and he caught the fist aiming for his gut.

Nothing is freaking working. I've tried being loud as possible, obnoxious as possible, begging, bribing, even freaking singing, but nothing is working! Though there was one thing she hadn't tried...

He put her in a headlock, smirking at the way she was struggling. He had fun sparring with her, but it was starting to come to an end. Plus, he was a bit bored. Although he had fun, she wasn't as nearly entertaining as he thought she would be. He wondered if it was because of the bloodlust. Maybe she couldn't think straight? Who knows. All he knew was that he was growing tired of the same tactics that she would try to use to overpower him. It made him think if she thought he was stupid. That thought bothered him. Hisoka the Magician was not an idiot.

Primna bit into his arm, bringing him back to the situation at hand. He let her go, but not without a devastating kick to her gut. She gasped from the impact. Her body curled into itself, the pain that had erupted too painful to get back up from.

"Hmm, what a pity. Guess I'll see you next time," Hisoka said as he walked away from her vulnerable form.

Inside, Primna had stopped trying to break free from her bloodlust.

* * *

Hey everybody!

I'm back! Yay! So I accidentally wrote myself into a writer's block (ehehe, oopsie) and I feel a bit bad for taking so long to figure out how to get myself out of the writer's block. Therefore, I decided to work myself to the bone for you guys and crank out four 3K chapters. And as you may (or may not) have guessed, each chapter will feature one of the OCs during the Fourth Phase. By the way, all four of these chapters take place in the middle of the week.

Hope you enjoyed this (really) long chapter and I'll hopefully have the other three chapters posted tomorrow.

I want to thank all of the lovely viewers out there who are taking the time to read this fanfic. I know I haven't been posting like I said I would (and I really do hope I'll be able to post every Wednesday like I said I would) I just want you to know that I appreciate your patience. And yes, I do realize that you might not even feel impatient to read more of this (I know that there's plenty more to life than this fanfiction lol) but I do hope these four chapters will make up for my inactivity as of late.

Well, with all that said, read and review to your heart's content! I'll see you in the next chapter!


	36. Quino's x Questionable x Heritage

Quino took in her surroundings, and found that she really wanted to relax. Plus, she felt that the spot was secure enough. She plopped down on the grass and laid down, allowing herself to relax on the grass beneath her. While the sky wasn't dark, Quino could tell that the sun was starting to make its descent. It had already reached its peak about an hour ago. Soon it would be evening, and then night. Quino hoped that she wouldn't end up dead because of her desire to relax for just a little while.

Thinking of how the grass felt good on her skin, Quino thought of that time when she had finally asked her adoptive mother why she had always brought a blanket with them whenever they went out to the park to have a picnic. At the time, Quino had assumed what the answer was but her adoptive mother proved her assumption wrong.

 _"Why do you always bring a blanket with you when we go out to picnics?"_

 _Her adoptive mother looked down at her, then smiled. "The grass irritates my skin and gives me rashes. I bring a blanket with me so that way I can enjoy our picnics."_

Quino had been surprised. Now, however, it was a simple fact. Though when her adoptive mother had told her of the rashes she'd get from grass, Quino had wondered if there were other things that gave her adoptive mother rashes. Of course, her adoptive mother is full of surprises.

 _"Nope. Only grass. You'd think poison ivy would irritate my skin, but turns out I'm immune. But I don't think you're immune sweetie."_

She had tried it out. To see if she had been immune. Quino wasn't. She really should've listened to her adoptive mother.

 _"What did I tell you? I know you're such a curious child, but you really should listen to me. Now you're all puffy and red," her adoptive mother said, shaking her head with an amused smile._

I miss her. I hope she's okay. She surprised me when she disappeared one day. Well, I'd found out long ago that she's full of surprises. Honestly, that woman. For all I know she could be really hurt right now.

Quino didn't want to admit to herself that she could also very well be _dead_.

She looked up at the sky, but only saw the green leaves of the trees surrounding the area. Quino closed her eyes. She was tired, but she had been too frightened to take a nap. Now, however, she was too exhausted to not consider napping.

Is the ground wet?

Quino felt around, realizing that the ground not only felt damp but cold. Her body shivered at the revelation. This brought another memory to mind.

 _"Mom, where are you?" Quino whispered, too cold and tired to properly yell out. She and her adoptive mother went to the market that afternoon but Quino had separated from her adoptive mother and had gotten lost. It had started to rain soon after. She was cold, tired, and scared. She wanted her mother._

 _"Quino? Quino!" Quino looked up to see her adoptive mother rushing over to her shivering, drenched body. Her adoptive mother quickly gauged her daughter's state and noticed that tears were gathering in Quino's eyes. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm here. Let's get you home," her adoptive mother said, grabbing Quino's hand and holding it._

She had been lost and terrified. While the cold had bothered her, it was nothing compared to the feeling she had felt the entire time she was out there all alone.

I was lonely. She was always there, but then I had gotten lost and suddenly I felt so alone. I hated that feeling. I still hate that feeling actually. Being alone, by myself, is the worst kind of torture. I hate being alone. I had gotten used to it, but I was still always scared. Always watching my back, always suspecting people, always keeping to myself, always thinking for myself. I hate being that way.

Quino thought it truly ironic that she ended up alone again even after attaining friends. But this was the infamous Hunter Exam. Whatever the examiners had going through their minds, it was obvious that this phase was meant to break up groups. Except so was the Third Phase, until Kuriya had informed her and Primna that there was a 'majority rules' path that they would take. That experience brought an unpleasant memory to mind.

Hisoka. She didn't trust that man one bit. Yes, she had seen him in action during the Third Phase. And that gave her all the more reason not to trust him. She saw the way he had completely slaughtered the prisoner who was supposedly a mass murderer sentenced for 206 years in jail. Essentially for life. But not even he was a match for Hisoka's brutality. Throughout all that time, she had wondered something that struck her as odd, even now.

Even though Kuriya said that Malli could sense what state Hisoka was in, how? No, how come she can? Am I missing something? The way Malli handled Hisoka was as if they knew each other. But how could that be? Then again, I don't really know Malli. For all I know they could be siblings. No, no way. Sure, they look the same, but I refuse to think that's even a possibility. Why did I even think that?

Quino gave out a sigh, and wrapped her arms around herself. She rubbed her arms in an effort to heat herself up, but she still felt cold.

It really is starting to feel freezing. Should I get up and find somewhere that'll be warmer? Hmm, where would it be warmer though?

Before she knew it, Quino fell asleep. She wasn't even aware of the pair of eyes watching her lethargic slumber.

XXX

"Chairman Netero, you haven't touched any of the paperwork," Mr. Beans informed, his eyes briefly glancing at the large stack of papers on Chairman Netero's desk. When the Chairman gave no answer, Mr Beans said, "Sir."

"I'm too busy to do paperwork right now."

Mr. Beans gave a quiet sigh, then said, "Alright, I will do them for you." With that said, Mr. Beans grabbed the large stack and exited the room with them.

Chairman Netero's eyes were glued on the sky's dark clouds. It was raining. "He's up to no good," the Chairman muttered, his eyes concentrated on the weather outside.

He gave out an amused smile. "He really does his best to interfere." The Chairman's eyes drifted around the room, taking in each and every detail. He took notice of the picture frames above the lit fireplace, each one depicting a person that consisted of his small family.

The first picture was a picture of himself. Granted, he was younger in the picture. His hair was all black, he didn't look as old as he did now, and his nose and ears weren't as large as they were then.

His eyes strayed away from the self portrait with disinterest. There was nothing interesting about looking at a younger version of himself. However, the next picture, despite the close resemblance, was not another picture of himself. In that picture portrayed his son, Beyond. Beyond was practically a spitting image of him.

While wondering where his son had ended up, his eyes trailed over to the picture frame seated next to Beyond's picture. It depicted an old woman with red burgundy eyes and dark brown hair. Her eyes were full of joy, her long wavy tresses ending at the middle of her back. That was his wife, Rekha. She had died 20 years ago, all because he couldn't protect her.

A bittersweet feeling arose in his chest, but he chose to ignore it and let his eyes gaze upon the last picture frame. Another woman was displayed in this picture. Her black, wavy hair and burgundy eyes combined with her dark complexion that she had inherited from her mother reminded him of a sweet but dense temptress. The smile she wore was mischievous, her eyes showing the delight that she had at that moment. He remembered that she had planted a bomb in the pond, which was directly behind the cameraman. She had detonated it the second after the cameraman announced that he was done taking the pictures. She had cackled when all was said and done. Of course, my wife and I had to punish her for the explosion. Unfortunately, she had decided to venture out into the world when she became 20, two years after the picture was taken. He didn't know what had become of her, but she had suddenly dropped off the face of the earth one day. He had long accepted the fact that she was most likely dead. Neverend, his beloved daughter, was probably dead.

With a heavy heart, he looked back out of the window, watching the rain fall down from the sky.

XXX

He looked about his surroundings, but he didn't find any of the clues that he had hoped to find. Nothing was out of place. He clenched his left hand into a fist, mentally berating himself.

Of course there's nothing here. Whoever kidnapped her know what they're doing. They're no amateurs.

His eyes roamed the room once more, in case he had missed anything, but he found nothing new. He stepped out of the room, his feet taking him to the front door. With more force than required, he slammed the front door shut as he exited the house, his frustration evident in his rough mannerisms.

15 years I've been looking for my mentor. 12 years I've been looking for my fiancee. I've met with little progress on both ends. Why can't I find them? Am I that pathetic?

He gritted his teeth, pissed off at his inability to find his objectives.

A Hunter, unable to find those he hunts.

With that thought in mind, he pressed forward, already having an idea of where to check next.

XXX

Quino woke up with a tired yawn. She stretched her body, pushing her legs and arms as far away from her as she can. Then she got up and sneezed. A hand quickly clasped over her mouth and nose, her eyes wide with fear.

I hope nobody heard that. I swear if that gives away my position I'm going to be extremely angry with myself.

Getting up from the ground, she noticed that her clothes, specifically her back, was damp. Looking up at the sky, she recognized the clear blue skies and decided to walk toward the clearing not too far away from her.

On her way there, she kept looking around at her surroundings, scanning for any sign that someone was following her. The last thing Quino wanted was a surprise visit from some complete stranger.

I really do hope I'm alone. Any other time that would've been a lie, but being alone is for the best right now. Chances are I wouldn't be around somebody that I'd want to be around with.

When she got to the clearing, she threw herself on the ground and gave out another yawn.

I really should go out and scavenge for food. But I feel so tired. I don't even want to get up.

Quino closed her eyes and basked in the sun's rays. Her clothes slowly started to dry.

Of course, Quino was not aware of the person who was hunting her. She had been following Quino the entire Third Phase. Her patience was running thin.

After a few minutes of drying up, Quino finally decided to at least get some water. She got up and made her way to the pond that was only about a few feet from her.

One of the most convenient features of the clearing.

Quino stood by the small pond, gazing at her reflection. Her reflection brought her back to a memory that she hadn't thought about for a while.

 _"Why do I have white hair?"_

 _Her adoptive mother looked down to her side to see Quino's eyes looking up at her. "You were born with it, sweetie. Why, you don't like it?"_

 _"It's not that. I just wondered why I don't have brown hair like yours."_

 _A frown replaced her adoptive mother's smile for a split second. Then it went back to her usual smile. "Well, that must mean one of your parents has white hair, right?"_

 _"So... my dad?"_

 _"Well," her adoptive mother started, but was interrupted._

 _"Then what about my eyes? Why aren't mine brown like yours?"_

 _"Well, sweetie_ – _"_

 _"Oh, that must be my dad_ – _"_

 _"Quino."_

 _She realized then how her adoptive mother wasn't smiling anymore. Instead, she was frowning. "I'm not your real mother."_

 _Quino's eyes widened. "Not... my mother? But_ – _"_

 _"I raised you like my own, but you aren't mine. But Quino, know that I still see you as my daughter. You'll always be my little girl, no matter what."_

 _Quino saw the tears pooling in her moth_ – _adoptive mother's eyes. "It's okay, Mom. Even though you're not my real mom, you're still 'Mom' to me."_

 _Her adoptive mother couldn't help the tears flowing down her eyes. She had almost forgotten about the fact that she was cooking dinner right then._

It doesn't matter that I don't have brown chestnut hair instead of white. It doesn't matter that my eyes aren't dark brown instead of burgundy. It doesn't matter that my skin was the darkest in the town. None of that matters. 'Mom' is still my mother. Maybe one day I'll meet my real mother, but honestly I'm content with what I have. Even so, none of that matters if I don't find that woman and drag her back home where she belongs. No, where we belong.

Dipping a hand in the water, Quino sighed at the surprising lukewarm temperature. Crouching, she extended both hands into the water, cupping them together and bringing the water she had captured between her hands to her lips. She drank of the lukewarm water, the temperature not at all affecting the pleasant feeling of the water flowing down her esophagus.

Giving out a satisfied sigh, Quino got up from her crouching position and began walking back into the forest. She needed to find food; the sooner she finds some, the better. Of course, that was her plan before she was interrupted.

A dart nicked Quino in the shoulder, causing Quino to yelp in surprise. Her attacker landed down on the clearing's surface, a triumphant smirk plastered on her face. "Hah, I've got you now, #406!"

Quino held a bewildered look on her face, not at all expecting the surprise attack, let alone her attacker to know her applicant number.

"That's right! I know your number. Now, prepare to die!" Her attacker took out another dart from her pocket, aiming before throwing the dart toward Quino's direction.

This time Quino managed to dodge the dart, but she had tripped on a rock when she dodged the next dart. Unfortunately, her attacker wouldn't allow the chance to slip by.

Aiming, she was about to throw the dart at Quino's back. However, she froze stock still. She felt her body collapse, pain blossoming between her shoulder blades. Right where her spine was.

"My, my, it seems you're the catch of the day," an all too familiar voice said from the shadows.

Quino quickly got up, hoping that the person in the shadows is not the person she thinks it is. As fate would have it, however, her assumption was quickly proven right.

Stepping out of the shadows, the person who had taken out her attacker was revealed to be none other than Hisoka.

The one time I want my assumption to be wrong and it was right. Just my luck.

With wide eyes, Quino took several steps back. She would've been able to blend in with the shadows if it wasn't for her greatly contrasting white hair.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hisoka asked, a gleeful but dangerous look in his eyes.

Quino felt her burgundy eyes widen, her body shaking from the mere thought that she would either have to fight or outrun him. It was moments like these that she really wished she wasn't alone.

Hisoka stalked closer to her, and it only made her already fearful mind more fearful.

I'm so terrified. I don't think I can even move. I need to, but I just can't. No one is here to help me. No one is here to tell me that everything is going to be okay. I'm all alone.

 _I'm all alone_.

 ** _I'm all alone_**.

He was mere inches away from her face now. She could tell that he loved the heavy breathing she was emitting, the wide eyes full of terror, the violent shaking of her body, her _fear_.

It's no wonder I haven't pissed my pants.

His eyes narrowed, a predatory gaze replacing the glee in his eyes. She simply stood there as he got even closer. She could feel his breath fan her ear, and she hated him with every fiber in her being. For a second, the world seemed to slow down.

" **Run** ," he said, as if coaxing her.

It was as if her body had a mind of its own. She turned around and bolted, tears streaming from her eyes despite herself.

Hisoka stayed behind, taking delight in watching Quino run for her life. A smirk made its way to his lips, then a chuckle bubbled out of them. After his laughter died, however, he chased after his prey.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Second 3K chapter done! I suddenly am feeling accomplished. It feels great.

Anyway, it seems that Hisoka keeps on butting in to ruin everyone's day. And to think I actually like the guy a bit. Then again, I kind of like Pariston too. Perhaps I just like psychotic/eccentric/trolling types. They intrigue me (not to mention their amusing).

Well, I don't have much to say, so...

Thank you all fellow readers for taking the time to read this fanfic and I guess I'll see you in the next chapter!

(Technically it's not 'see'. Anticipate? No, that's not right. Await? That's not part of the five senses, and neither was the previous. Is what I'm trying to convey even using one of the five senses? ~ Meh, my brain kinda hurts.)


	37. Kuriya's x Tempestuous x Love

Kuriya watched as the Hemotropic Butterfly came close to the Hellion Spider. The spider was currently swinging from branch to branch, creating a mess of sticky webbing. The Hellion Spider, feeling content with its craftsmanship, turned around and was face to face with the Hemotropic Butterfly. It was eaten shortly after.

She watched the spider get eaten by the butterfly, the sight bearing a resemblance to her current situation. Though, to Kuriya it was only slight.

I know I should get rid of... this affection toward the Kurta. It will endanger my family. Not to mention I have no doubt he wouldn't make such a mistake as this. These... affections... or are they emotions? Feelings? Hadn't I gotten rid of those? Hadn't my family beat them out of me when I was young and malleable?

Kuriya didn't need to think too much about that to know her answer. If she had gotten rid of her emotions, she never would have a friendship with Malli.

Perhaps it all started with Malli? The perseverance of that girl is amazing. But she doubts herself. She doubts in her perseverance, her tenacity. And she also doubts Killua would ever come to like her like she does him. I would be surprised if he ended up never feeling any sort of affection for her. Though I wonder what type of love she feels for him.

With that thought in mind, Kuriya jumped down from the branch that she had been sitting on. She knew she should get going, otherwise her seemingly passive self will attract the other applicants. She didn't want to kill more than she needed to.

I wonder if–

"Oh? Did the little spider come for the blood, too?"

Kuriya stopped in her tracks. Ahead of her was a clearing, with a single stump in the middle of it. Sitting against that stump was Hisoka, and standing a few feet away from him was Illumi without his Gittarackur disguise.

Illumi turned his head and looked at her, and Kuriya looked him straight in the eye with no hesitation. Deep down, Kuriya knew if they ended up in a fight, she wasn't sure she'd make it out alive. There was nothing she could say that could ensure there'd be no fight.

Should I mention Killua? No, mentioning him might cause Illumi to react hostilely. The last thing I need is Illumi hunting me down for the rest of the Fourth Phase, though the thought did sound appealing for brutal training.

"Little spider? Is there something you haven't told me?" Illumi asked. Though he was straight-faced, he sounded oddly cheerful. Kuriya found it a bit creepy. It left her feeling unsettled and uneasy.

"Hmm, do you think I should tell him, little spider?" Hisoka said, almost sounding like he was mocking her.

Kuriya grimaced at the little nickname. She truly hated it. But looking at Hisoka made her think of Malli.

Malli would no doubt lose it if she knew her father sported a few gashes. Whoever had given him those gashes was either outrageously lucky or skilled. In which case I would definitely be interested in a fight with this person.

"The little spider seems to have made a web in her head," Hisoka mused, causing Kuriya to frown just a bit. She really did hate that nickname.

While she was fond of Malli, she definitely wouldn't feel mournful if Hisoka keeled over and died. But, of course, then she'd have to deal with a despondent Malli.

The things I do for Hisoka the Magician's daughter.

"I'm uncertain if it is wise to reveal that," Kuriya finally answered back, causing Illumi to look back at Hisoka.

"It's just Illumi Zoldyck," Hisoka said with a smirk.

"And for some reason you trust him," Kuriya shot back, not desiring at all to banter, especially with Hisoka of all people.

"Of course. He does good business. You should know about all that, right, little spider?"

Kuriya glared at Hisoka, then switched her gaze to Illumi. He was looking at her now, as if expecting her to explain so he could understand the meaning behind little nickname. With a sigh, Kuriya decided to let him know. She would just have to be more aware of him in the future.

"The reason Hisoka calls me 'little spider' is because I aim to be a part of the Phantom Troupe in the future."

Internally, Kuriya smirked at the half-truth.

Hisoka frowned, knowing that she had just fibbed.

Illumi, however, seemed to surprise her today. "I know that's not the real reason."

Kuriya dared not to react to his statement for fear he would catch on.

But did he know? He couldn't know, right? There's no–

"You look a lot like the Phantom Troupe's leader, Chrollo Lucilfer. Of course, a more feminine and younger version."

He knew. How? Who told him?

Kuriya shot a glare at Hisoka, but he shrugged his shoulders with an amused glint in his eyes.

Hisoka didn't tell him? Then who? How did he figure it out? When did he–

"The resemblance is uncanny. When you mentioned the Phantom Troupe, everything clicked together. Though it was only a guess, but it's true, isn't it? You're the daughter of Chrollo Lucilfer. That makes you the heiress of the Phantom Troupe, doesn't it?" Illumi slowly stalked closer to Kuriya, which set off many alarms and screamed 'danger' to Kuriya.

For some reason, she couldn't school her face like she usually could. Kuriya stood there, frozen with fear, her eyes slightly wider to display just how caught off-guard she was. This made Hisoka smirk and Illumi stalk faster to her.

"I wonder what would happen if I shipped your head back to the Phantom Troupe, or perhaps just Chrollo?"

Kuriya sensed he was trying to instill fear into her. She wouldn't let it be that easy. She wouldn't go down without a fight. "Even if you crushed the head, the spider would go on. I'm not even part of the Phantom Troupe. They will go on."

Illumi stopped, staring at her with his usual blank expression. "But you're the heiress."

"Even so, I'm not even a leg on the spider. If I die, the spider wouldn't have even lost a limb!"

Hisoka chuckled. "It seems she's much more brave than you give her credit for."

Illumi blinked then gave out a "hmm". Suddenly uninterested in furthering the conversation, he crouched down and started digging a hole with his hands. When he was done, he dropped down into it and covered it back up.

I hope he suffocates, Kuriya thought with disdain.

"That was a close call, little spider," Hisoka said as he stared at her. Then his eyes raked over her figure and he licked his lips. "You really do look like your father."

Kuriya felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny, knowing exactly what was going through that head of his.

Pervert.

"If you like him so much, why don't you just decapitate yourself and I'll send your head to the Phantom Troupe's leader. I'm certain that'll please him," Kuriya said with little inflection in her voice.

"Mmm, and now you sound like Feitan."

"I suppose that's a turn off, huh?" Kuriya stated coldly, turning her back to him. "As much as this has been fun, and I mean that with all the sarcasm in the world, it wasn't my intention to hang out with you and that Zoldyck."

Hisoka watched as she walked away from him, his eyes narrowed and throat dry.

XXX

There were a few things that Chrollo Lucilfer regretted. He knew that all things happened for a reason, and he had learned to take things in stride.

But right now, as he stared at the dearest object to him, he felt a bit of regret.

It was a picture of Kuriya, but she was six at the time. Her hair was short due to the constant rigorous training she was put through and she had just gotten out of bed that morning. Which was why he couldn't help but smile at what was probably her darkest and most embarrassing secret that had never left the Phantom Troupe: the pink teddy bear held securely to her. Her left hand was trying to rub the sleep out of her eye but she had missed her mark entirely by rubbing the side of her nose instead. Then the last detail that made him amused was the bandage wrapped around her forehead. She didn't have his tattoo (and she wouldn't get one unless it was the Phantom Troupe's brand while he's still breathing, he'd make sure of that) but she used to wrap bandages around her forehead because he would do so occasionally. Of course, she had grown out of doing that when she hit her teenage years.

None of that was anything he was feeling regret over, though.

If you were to tell Chrollo Lucilfer 20 years ago that he'd have a beautiful daughter by the name of Kuriya, he wouldn't have believed a word of it.

But the thought of Kuriya's mother made him frown, his eyes narrowing from the mere thought of the woman. She had tried to act kind, genuine, sweet, but he'd known from the start that she was just a gold-digging temptress who had only wanted his fortunes. Unfortunately, he had a mission to complete and she was his target's wife. He had to distract her from the fact that he had just killed her husband, albeit she didn't realize until the morning after. After that, he hadn't heard a word from her for about nine months. That's about the time Kuriya came and news of the bitch dying giving birth to her reached his ears.

That, however, wasn't what he regretted. Even if it had involved that gold-digging bitch, he had gotten Kuriya out of that whole ordeal, so he can't say he regretted any of it.

What he regretted was the fact that Kuriya wasn't around and it was her birthday. He couldn't even get a hold of her. Even though he was always a "family first" kind of man, when Kuriya came he really became a "family man". And let it be known that he had tried just about everything he could possibly think of to get ahold of her. Every single phone number he knew that she had he had called, he had tried to find out where the Hunter Exam was (but then Shalnark informed him that there were different phases and that would entail different places it could take place), and he had even tried to call Hisoka (by this point Feitan had to stop him before Hisoka had actually picked up the call).

Now he was sulking, worrying and wondering where his little girl was.

He didn't want to face the reality that she was her own person. Yes, she destroyed people's businesses. Yes, she was always out doing something. Yes, she's made friends with people he'd rather not want her to associate herself with (Malli and Primna). And, yes, he was aware that he was way to overprotective for his own good! And now he has no idea where Kuriya was (and the thought of not knowing where she was, not having any means of communication, scared him). When he finally gets ahold of her, he's going to definitely make it known that she can't go anywhere that doesn't have reception (or at least to come back home whenever it was her birthday to celebrate).

He has the right to celebrate his daughter's birthday with her at least, doesn't he?

XXX

Kuriya watched as Kurapika and Leorio walked through the forest.

If you'd ask Kuriya, she'd definitely say that she wasn't stalking them. That was Malli's thing, not Kuriya's. But whether she was indeed stalking or simply spying was a very blurred and misconstrued line. In other words, nobody knows.

Of course Leorio is right there. I need to talk to Kurapika about something. But I don't want Leorio to hear it. Usually in this case I'd simply take out the other person but Kurapika warned me about not hurting his friends. Things have really begun to get complicated, haven't they?

With a irritated sigh, Kuriya jumped down from the tree she was spying on them from. The sound of her feet landing on the ground beneath her alarmed both Leorio and Kurapika. They turned around, Leorio's knife drawn and Kurapika's wooden bokken out.

"Kuriya?" Kurapika asked, the look on his face telling Kuriya just how surprised he is to see her. And also that he was suspicious.

"Hello, friends," Kuriya said, though she hesitated on the word 'friends', "I need to talk to you Kurapika. Privately."

Leorio glanced between Kuriya and Kurapika, then put his knife away after a tense minute. "Go on, Kurapika. I'll wait here."

Kurapika sighed, putting his bokken back.

"Follow me," Kuriya said, turning her back on them. If this were any other situation, she wouldn't have turned her back on them. But they were honorable enough to not strike her when she wasn't facing them.

Although they have no reason to strike me. Not yet, anyway.

She started to walk, Kurapika not far behind.

When they were far away enough, she turned around and faced him. He stopped, gazing at her with a guarded look in his eyes.

"You don't seem to trust me. Good," Kuriya said, closing her eyes in thought.

"What did you need to talk with me about?" Kurapika asked, cutting to the chase.

Kuriya opened her eyes again and looked the Kurta in the eye. "Make me hate you."

His eyes narrowed, and she wondered if he understood what she had just told him.

"I can't be this way. When I first learned of Malli's affections toward Killua, I had disliked the notion of ending up being in the same predicament. But," Kuriya stopped, the words dying in her mouth. She shook her head, and continued, "But this is by far worse. Malli and Killua aren't enemies. We are. My family killed yours, and you're going to kill mine. So please, do something that'll make me hate you."

"Your hesitancy isn't my problem," Kurapika stated, looking away from her.

"It is. The fact that I haven't killed you is your problem," Kuriya said.

Kurapika looked at her analytically, as if he were trying to figure something out. "You want to hate me? What exactly do you feel for me?"

She felt shame. She didn't want to tell him, but he just laid it out there. It was the perfect opportunity. But it was this perfect moment to declare what she truly felt for him that made her all the more ashamed of herself. She truly hated herself. How could she possible feel like this for him? How could she fall for her enemy? No, how could she fall for someone who wants to kill her family, to rip her family away from her? To rip her away from all whom she loves?

"Why haven't you killed me? I know you've been spying on me ever since the Hunter Exam started. You've had so many chances, so why?"

Kuriya gave out a snort, though she'll allow herself to be appalled by the sound. "I–"

"You said I'm your enemy. Meaning you are planning to join the Phantom Troupe."

Kuriya picked up her head, trying her best to hide the sudden fear that had doused her in ice cold terror.

"You love me. But you're going to join the Phantom Troupe. So you want me to make you hate me, so that way you don't love me," Kurapika said, his eyes red.

Right then and there, Kuriya's worst fear was realized. She didn't want him to figure it out. She wanted to kill this love quietly, without his notice. But now he knows, and she's never been more terrified than right now.

"Your right. You hate me now, right?" Kuriya asked, wanting to know where he stands in regarding to... her.

"Why haven't you killed me yet?" Kurapika pushed. He looked like he wanted to rip her head off.

"I had no desire to kill you. All I wanted was your eyes. After that, I would've left never to be seen again. But I couldn't do that with so many witnesses." Kuriya revealed, looking back down. She couldn't bear to see him so angry, especially since it was directed at her.

She heard before she saw him draw out his bokken. "You want to hate me? Fine. I'll give you a reason to hate me. I'll hunt down all of your family and kill them all. Then I'll kill you."

Kuriya glared menacingly at Kurapika, taking out her katana for the impending fight.

"I won't let you touch my family. I won't let you kill them. I'll make sure to rip out your eyes and kill you before you can even so much as look at my family," Kuriya spat out, feeling an all-consuming anger course through her veins.

She no longer felt love for him. She felt anger, bitterness. But the thing she felt most was fear. Fear for herself, for her family, for those she saw as extended family. If she failed to kill him...

...He'd kill them. Just to eliminate the Phantom Troupe. To make them pay for taking his family. An eye for an eye.

She couldn't fathom why she loved him in the first place.

* * *

Hey everybody!

Well, as you may have noticed, I'm busy. I now have even more responsibilities (yay! _). So, I've come to realize that no matter what day I try to do this on, I'll always be busy (that includes Saturday and Sunday amazingly enough). In other words, I'll try to update as frequently as I can (and hope I can work something out so I can have at least a day, or evening, free). With that said, I hope you enjoy this 3k chapter. Also, I've actually been working on one shots for each of the girls (which in hindsight should be placed on the back burner for now, at least until I get Malli's 3k out of the way).

So this chapter was actually almost done (about 2450 words) but I got back to it today to finish it (never in my life have I ever been so grateful for waking up way too early). I honestly don't remember what I was going to type after Kurapika pointed out that she was going to join the Phantom Troupe. So... could've ended on a good note instead of a bad one. But I think I prefer it end like this (though I'm aware I basically sunk this ship... or did I?).

I hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed typing it. Oh, and it's pretty obvious I don't own Hunter x Hunter, right? I hadn't done that in a while, but I wasn't sure if it was really necessary. I mean, if I did own Hunter x Hunter, I'd be starting up the anime back up since the manga's gotten decently far (at least for one arc).

Well, see you all next time. Bye, bye!


	38. Malli x And x Hisoka

Malli watched as Gon swung his fishing rod.

He swung at another bird, but missed it once again. Another swing, another miss. This had been going on for about two hours, and Gon had yet to catch any of the birds.

She was getting bored.

Now, you may ask: why was Malli watching Gon try to catch a bird with his fishing rod?

Malli sighed, watching on with a forlorn look in her eyes. The wind, which was a gentle breeze until now, picked up. It made her feel a bit cold. She shivered, a sudden dread building up inside of her. When she looked around at her surroundings, however, she didn't spot anything out of the ordinary.

Same Gon, same birds, same grass, same leaves, same stump, even the same hunter applicant stalking Gon. Everything is the same, so why do I suddenly feel dread?

Malli pondered as she watched Gon try to catch another bird. Of course, he missed. While she wanted to give props to the fact that he was still trying to catch a bird, she was growing tired of him missing. It couldn't be that hard, could it? Either way, she was getting bored _really_ fast. She wanted to squirm on the tree branch she was sitting on, but then she would alert the applicant tracking Gon. Unlike Killua, she wouldn't interfere.

If the kid can't handle himself, then he has no place beside Killua. Malli nodded her head at the mental thought. Though...

She looked around again, seeing the same leaves, trees, birds, Gon, and Gon tracker. Malli internally giggled at that.

Gon tracker. For a limited time, you can have your very own Gon Tracker! The Gon Tracker, able to track Gon for miles on end with seemingly no limit to distance. For the outrageous price of nine jennies! Only for a limited time. Get it while it lasts!

She clasped a hand over her mouth, trying her hardest not to bust up laughing. Though...

I would buy a Killua Tracker in a heartbeat.

Malli searched her surroundings again. She still felt dread. Thinking of Killua, even laughing at her own ridiculous thoughts, didn't erase the fact that she still felt dread. Which meant three things.

Her dad was in danger, Kuriya was in danger, or Killua was in danger. From what she knew, she assumed her dad was okay. Who could take down her dad of all people?

Malli didn't think anyone could ever take down her dad. She never had any doubts about that single fact.

She knew Killua was fine. Unless something happened within the fifteen minutes she had decided to look after Gon. Well, decided would be a stretch.

 _"Could you stop stalking me? I can't focus with you constantly in the shadows. Make yourself useful and check up on someone else like Gon or something."_

Malli blushed in embarrassment at the memory.

He had caught me stalking him. How embarrassing! Doesn't he realize I do it to protect him? It's not the same with Gon. If he lives, Killua will be happy, if he dies, I'll just replace him. Win-win either way, right? I don't really feel like watching Gon anyway. All he ever does is miss his target.

Just when she thought that feeling of dread went away, it came back. She sighed heavily, catching the attention of the one tracking Gon. Malli didn't know who it was, but she could tell he was a professional tracker. Or was it hunter? She didn't really care.

He stared at her, anticipating for whatever she would do. Malli waved a hand at him, it looked like she was dismissing him. Then she jumped off the tree branch gracefully, taking a moment to stretch her arms above her head.

Meanwhile, the hunter couldn't understand what she had implied when she gave her hand of dismissal. Wasn't she part of the same group the boy was in? Then naturally she would want to take him out so the boy wouldn't be harmed. Instead of what he had predicted, which was an attack, she ran away.

The question is, who's in danger? I guess I'll run around and see who I find first. I can't use Nen, so I won't be able to track them. Man, this is a pain.

Malli grumbled as she started her run around the island, knowing she could simply sense their life energy to spot them but also knowing that she can't because she'd get disqualified.

"Stupid rules!" Malli shouted at the top of her lungs as she ran around the island.

Of course, this alerted practically everyone on the island of her current location.

Malli stopped in her tracks, feeling someone tracking her. She balled her hands into fists and turned to her left. "I don't have time for this! Just come out and let me kill you so I can go and find Killua already!"

When the tracker didn't come out of the shadows, Malli just sighed and shook her head. "Fine, just stay out of my way. But I'm warning you. So much as hinder me in any way to find the people I'm looking for, and I'll make it so not a single part of your body will ever be found, got it?"

The minute she started to run off, her tracker from the shadows started after her.

Where, oh where, could you be? Am I even on the right side of the island? Maybe they're on the other side. But if they're over here, and I go straight over to the other side, I won't find them for a while. Stupid rules. Though... is sensing Nen using Nen?

Malli stopped in her tracks, pondering on this thought.

It's not, right? Sensing Nen isn't the same as using it. I mean, I'm technically just getting an image of where people are. That isn't really _using_ Nen. Is it?

She closed her eyes slowly, feeling nervous about what she was about to do. Malli concentrated, drawing up a mental map of where the signatures were. She concentrated further, trying to figure out Hisoka's, Kuriya's, and Killua's signatures out of the other applicants. She wasn't surprised to find that the amount of signatures had diminished. Malli knew the applicants would definitely kill the person rather than steal their badge. Taking a badge off of a corpse was a lot easier than taking a badge from a living, mobile target.

Her concentration broke, when excitement blossomed from within her. She dodged the attack from behind her, Malli's undivided attention focused solely on the one who had attacked her. She realized then that her attacker was the person who was tracking her. The tracker, unfortunately, could not see the hungry and excited look in Malli's eyes. Her violet bangs didn't allow for him to spot such an important detail.

"You dodged that attack, huh? Lucky girl. Next time, you won't be able to dodge," the muscular, bulky man said.

Malli scanned his figure through a hazy lens, her bloodlust clouding her vision. Her excitement was almost too much for her. It's been too long since she had killed someone.

Muscular and bulky, but nowhere near as strong as dad. Not even on my level. Weak. Not much of a challenge. Wouldn't last long. Shame.

He charged at her, his scimitar readying to decapitate her. When it had almost reached her neck, Malli caught the scimitar's blade with her bare hands. The man was caught by surprise, and he went to yank the scimitar from her grasp, but was unable to.

Malli sighed shakily, trying her hardest not to lose herself. She wanted to kill him.

But he's so weak~

The bloodlust within her dissipated, her thought bringing her back to reality.

"You honestly think that a weakling like you could amount to anything? Let alone hurt _me_?"

The man looked into Malli's annoyed glare. For a second, he could've sworn he was dead, but that feeling had disappeared just as quickly.

Malli pushed the scimitar away, effectively pushing the man back as well. He balanced himself shortly after, but the man could tell that the girl's strength was nowhere near his.

"I'll warn you one last time. Get in my way and you're dead. Go find some other prey, I'm too much for you to take on right now," Malli said, turning her back to him and running away.

The man felt his body shake in rage, but he didn't charge at her. He could tell that he really would die if he tried anything. With his pride tarnished, he walked away from the scene and left Malli alone.

Malli was at a clearing when she spotted them.

Her dad, Kuriya, and some black-haired guy were talking. She wanted to get closer, but they might spot her if she tried. So she stayed put.

Dad has a few gashes, Malli thought. She frowned but she felt relieved to know that they looked old.

She felt her dread increase when the black-haired guy, man?, whatever, stalk closer to Kuriya. Malli narrowed her eyes, wanting to jump in and protect Kuriya from the weird guy. Something about him didn't sit right with her.

But she stayed put.

Kuri could protect herself from him. She's strong. But... what if he was stronger? Then Kuri could be in danger. My dread is telling me so. But Dad would... he wouldn't help. This weirdo has some sort of relationship with Dad, Dad wouldn't want to ruin his plans for somebody who he doesn't like. But if I jump in, Dad would stop the weirdo, right? 'Cause then one of his potential "fruits" would go to waste. Then–

She noticed then that the black-haired weirdo was gone, Kuriya had stalked off, and her Dad was basking in the sunlight. Her dread was gone.

Should I say hi to Dad? Would he try and attack me?

Malli didn't think so. He looked serene, but sane. He looked like himself.

With a sigh, Malli stepped away from the tree she was using as cover. She instantly felt his eyes on her, but she didn't feel excitement. It was safe.

She walked over to her dad and sat down against the tree trunk that he was sitting against. They were positioned back to back, with the tree trunk the only thing separating them.

"Hi," Malli paused, "Hisoka."

She heard him chuckle. "You're not used to calling me that, are you?"

"Of course not," Malli said indignantly. "But I know we're being watched."

"True," was all he said.

Both closed their nearly identical golden eyes, both basking in the sun. They were both pale, their skin more likely to burn than tan in the sun. But it was too serene to even think about getting up. Malli felt herself dozing off.

"Be careful of Gittarackur."

The sudden warning brought her out of her stupor. "Gittarackur? Whose that?"

"He has needles on his face."

That was all that was needed for Malli to remember. Her eyes shot open and then she said, "Oh! That guy, huh? I'm guessing he's as strong as he is creepy?"

Hisoka didn't say anything, but that was more than enough confirmation to Malli.

"When was the last time we were like this?" Malli asked almost in a whisper, the warmth of the sun making her sleepy again.

He opened his eyes, actually taking the time to think about her question.

When was the last time? It's been too long.

"I could kill you right here and now," Hisoka said, wanting to get a rise out of his daughter.

"Yeah, you could," she said sleepily, not at all afraid by what he'd just said.

"You don't seem to be afraid," Hisoka analyzed.

"I'm your daughter. You can kill me at any point you want. But you haven't. So until then, I won't be afraid," Malli stated, half-asleep.

"You'll be dead by then," Hisoka stated.

"That just makes it more fun," Malli remarked.

Hisoka chuckled, Malli giggled.

"You're not that different from me. We're cut from the same cloth," Hisoka said with a grin.

"I'm your daughter, remember? Of course I'm not that different from you," Malli retorted with a grin of her own, but it looked sloppy and her eyes were threatening to close on her.

"You shouldn't let your guard down."

"Won't," Malli muttered. Her body hit the ground next to her, sleep finally taking ahold of her.

Hisoka only sighed. Then he looked behind him to get a look at his sleeping daughter. Her eyes, hiding the eerie golden eyes she had inherited from him, were closed and her mouth was open. He chuckled when he noticed drool was trickling out of her mouth. She had freckles on her face, bringing more color to her pale complexion that she had inherited from him. The freckles, however, was from her mother. Another thing she had gotten from her mother was her hair. Straight, natural violet hair. Her mother usually had it in a ponytail. Malli sometimes had it down, but sometimes she would have it in pigtails, like when she did her acrobat or magician job at Cirque de Shyr. He didn't like it when she had it in pigtails, though. Either way, her hair had always made a stark contrast to her pale complexion, which she had inherited from himself.

"Could you stop staring at me? I'm trying to sleep," Malli said.

It was then that he realized she was staring straight at him. She hadn't moved, except to breathe, which was why he hadn't realized that she was awake.

"It's funny. Maybe _you_ shouldn't let your guard down," Malli remarked.

"And I think you should watch your tone," Hisoka growled.

"Watch my tone? My tone is fine, thank you very much. I think you're just flustered from being _caught off guard_."

Hisoka narrowed his eyes. "I'm not the weaker one here."

Malli pouted, knowing all too well. "Geez, you don't even wanna have fun!"

"My type of fun is different from yours," Hisoka sighed, taking out his deck of playing cards. "Poker."

"Really? What would we even use as chips?" Malli complained. "I like Blackjack more."

"You need to get better at your poker face, Gumdrop."

"Don't care!" Malli said, sticking her tongue out.

Hisoka's right hand twitched, and Malli's left shoulder twitched.

"No poker?" Malli asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Hisoka's eyes darkened, his right hand grabbing a card out of his deck, "No poker."

Malli felt excitement bubbling up from within her. "When?"

"Count of three," Hisoka stated, making Malli get up from her spot.

Malli walked to a spot that was in front of Hisoka and stopped when she was a couple yards away from him.

"One," Hisoka called out.

She stretched her legs, then her arms.

"Two."

She grinned, readying herself for anything.

"Three," Hisoka said just before throwing a card toward her.

Malli dodged, taking note that he was aiming for her torso. He wanted to kill her.

"Catch me if you can!" Malli taunted, dodging yet another card. She laughed, dodging one after another.

Finally, after about eleven cards, one finally got her. Hisoka chuckled as he watched Malli examine her wound. It had lodged in her right shoulder. While it did hurt, it only made her more excited.

Hisoka got up from his spot.

Malli pouted when she realized that he had gotten up. "Hey! That's not fair. You said you wanted to play with cards."

"I only said no poker, Gumdrop. Never did I say just cards," Hisoka said as he charged toward her.

Before the Hunters Exam, Malli would have fled from Hisoka in fear. She would've ran like the devil was on her heels. Of course, Hisoka could very much be a devil sometimes.

Instead, she smiled. He grinned devilishly at the sight. His daughter was no longer cowering, no longer running away. She was growing. And he didn't know if it was better this way or not. On one hand, she's standing up for herself. On the other...

Malli looked in his eyes, knowing full well that she was challenging him, taunting him. She knew she would definitely have to fight him now. She got him too worked up, but she figured she could try to outrun him if he gets too out of hand.

Wait, if he gets too out of hand, and I happen to outrun him... who's going to have to deal with a bloodthirsty Hisoka?

She didn't think this through. Her eyes widened, realizing how bad this could go. What she hadn't realized was that the sudden fear that had reflected in her eyes threw all Hisoka's inhibitions out the window.

He charged at her, full speed.

Malli rolled out of the way, but Hisoka was already preparing another attack. She barely dodged the punch that would've knocked her into the air, but she couldn't do anything about the kick to the stomach. Malli lurched, but she knew she needed to recover quickly.

She tried her best to dodge and parry all of Hisoka's attacks, but she simply wasn't as fast as he was. An elbow to the side of her head made Malli realize that she was still nowhere near her dad's level.

For some reason, that only seemed to make her even more excited than she already was.

* * *

Hey everybody!

I'm. Finally. Done! I did it guys, I really did it!

Alright, all four 3K chapters are done. Now we can fast-forward through Hunter x Hunter's storyline until we get to the parts that actually make a big difference to the storyline. Unless I need to slow down for some reason. But I've already been slow enough, right?

I don't really have much to say. So... hope you like the chapter and are looking forward to seeing (reading?) more! Bye bye!


	39. The x Worst x Luck

Kuriya collapsed by the small river in front of her. Her body felt like lead. It was reminiscent to those times that she had sparred with Uncle Uvo. Of course, she never won. He'd always beat her half to death but he was always too caught up in the sparring to hold back. But holding back wouldn't have made her as strong as she was today.

Unfortunately, she hadn't sparred with Uncle Uvo. And she did beat her opponent. But unlike those sparring sessions with her family, this time wasn't about getting stronger or having fun.

The Kurta needs to get stronger, Kuriya thought as she watched a bird swoop down to catch a fish. The bird was successful in catching its prey, the avian quickly making itself scarce before a predator could get to it. He won't be able to take on the weakest member if he can't even win against me.

She wasn't sure why she still cared about that. If the Kurta wasn't strong, then let the Phantom Troupe kill him. What difference does it make?

Well, those eyes make a difference.

Kuriya's eyes widened.

How could I forget that? Why didn't I kill him and steal his eyes? I had the chance. It was the perfect opportunity. He and I were alone, Leorio was a good distance away. And even if someone happened to intervene I would've killed them shortly. Anyone who had a decent chance against me were on the other side of the island. Kurapika's eyes were _scarlet_.

She scowled, getting up from the ground and walking away.

I was too emotional. Caught up in my own torrential emotions that I didn't even see the opportunity presented in front of me. Father would be so disappointed. Uncle Fei would be even more disappointed in me. Maybe I should give my favorite uncle a call.

Kuriya fished for her pant's pocket for her phone and pulled it out. It took her a second to realize that she had no service.

Never mind. No phone calls. I hope Father isn't trying to call me. He would be freaking out about my safety and probably would ban me from going anywhere that didn't have service. Joy.

Kuriya stopped in her tracks. She looked toward her right, trying to sense where the bloodlust was coming from. It felt familiar but Kuriya failed to figure out who it was from.

Do I fight whoever it is or should I just walk on by?

Her scowl lessened and formed into a smirk, a laugh that was more breath than sound escaping her lips.

"A fight might make me feel better," Kuriya muttered to herself as she stalked closer to the bloodlust.

Kuriya got closer and closer, until she felt something cut her cheek. Blood started to pool in the wound, a mere trickle slowly running down her left cheek. She looked behind her, investigating what it was that had cut her cheek. Her dark gray eyes focused their attention on the silver hair pin that looked much like a silver needle. Kuriya looked back ahead of her, hoping that it wasn't who she thought it was. But it was exactly who she thought it was.

Standing there, with a hazy look in her darker than usual green eyes, was Primna.

Though Kuriya knew it was unlikely that Primna wouldn't attack if she told her not to, Kuriya decided to try anyway. "Primna, I don't wish to kill you."

Just as she predicted, Kuriya's words fell on deaf ears.

Primna charged at her, a silver hair pin in one hand and a fist ready to make contact in the other.

Kuriya parried the fist and dodged the thrown hair pin. She took a few steps back and used Gyo.

So she is using Nen. Fortunately she isn't against somebody who doesn't know Nen. But if she gets me with that hair pin... I won't be able to use my leeches. I could either-

Kuriya grabbed the fist headed toward her face, twirled Primna around, and twisted Primna's arm around her back. She disarmed Primna's other arm, the silver stick hair pin falling from Primna's grip.

"Are you done? I've given you plenty of chances, but if you refuse to calm down I will have no choice but to take drastic measures," Kuriya warned irritably.

Just as she had predicted, Kuriya's warning fell on deaf ears.

Primna started to struggle. Her squirming was not enough to break free from Kuriya's hold. Primna kicked out a leg, almost sweeping Kuriya's legs from under her. However, Kuriya pushed Primna and kicked her away, sending her far enough for Kuriya to use her Hatsu.

Kuriya closed her eyes and concentrated on conjuring her leeches, the purple and slimy parasitic worms writhing out of her forearms. As soon as they were formed, Kuriya went into Zetsu. Primna charged at her and Kuriya swung the leeches off of her, the parasites clinging onto Primna's form.

"You gave me no choice. I had to use my Scout Leeches," Kuriya said with a scowl. Primna' s body slowed down to an abrupt stop. Kuriya knew then and there that the leeches were doing their job. "You should have calmed down when you had the chance."

"Kuriya? I-I don't f-feel so good," Primna muttered with difficulty.

"I had to use my leeches. You can figure out the rest, " Kuriya said with a rude undertone.

"You drained me of my Nen? Good," Primna said.

"Why were you driven by your bloodlust? You usually are able to bury it," Kuriya asked.

Primna sighed heavily, and Kuriya didn't miss how defeated she looked. "It's nothing I can't deal with. I'll be fine," Primna said with finality.

"Really? You didn't seem to be able to handle it before by the looks of it," Kuriya snidely remarked.

"What's crawled up your ass? Nah, nevermind. You must be PMSing or something," Primna snapped.

"Rude. Take to friends," Kuriya said adamantly.

"Nah, don't bother. I don't need any chaperones," Primna said with her head held high.

"Oh, interesting. Don't wanna see friends? Avoiding, aren't you?" Kuriya said with a smirk.

"Damn, you're pissed. You're not even saying complete sentences. Seriously, the hell is up with you?"

"You first," Kuriya demanded.

"Fine, whatever. I... had a bit of a spat with them. That's all there is to it. But I don't want to see them," Primna said with a hint of hesitancy.

"Liar."

"Well, aren't you a freaking mindreader? Just let it go, would ya?"

Kuriya narrowed her eyes. Primna glared at Kuriya with gritted teeth. But Primna could feel her eyes wanted to relax, to fall asleep.

"Tell me, I tell you," Kuriya declared.

"Not like you'll tell me otherwise, right? I... told someone about myself. My true self. They... didn't take it as well as I'd hoped. That person happens to be in my group. That's all you need to know," Primna said with a sigh.

"I see. Leorio, right? Hmm, you fell into a depression, and you responded by letting your bloodlust take control over you," Kuriya said, no longer scowling.

"Great, you're back to normal," Primna said with sarcasm.

"As for your question earlier. I... made a mistake. And it cost me dearly."

"Huh? You slipped up? Must be pretty big if it made you get that pissed," Primna said as she examined Kuriya. "Wait, when the hell did you get that wound on your shoulder?"

Kuriya sighed, looking at the dried red spot on her shoulder. The only physical reminder that she had a fight with the Kurta.

"So you've noticed. You see, the Kurta finally realized today that I was going to become part of the Phantom Troupe. As one might predict, he did not like that. He swore that he would kill them all in front of me, and spare me for last. I hate him for that, and I believe he hates me too."

"Hmm, so problems in the love life's of the last survivor of the Kurta clan and the daughter of the leader of the Phantom Troupe. Not that my love life is going much better," Primna gave a deep sigh. "But I do have some advice, if you'll hear me out."

"What could you possibly say that could help in this situation?"

"Well, the thing is, I don't know much about Kurapika. But I do know he is dead set on either killing the Phantom Troupe, or capture them. My advice: try to persuade him to _capture_ them. It won't be easy, and he might kill you considering he knows you're going to join the Phantom Troupe someday, but try to appeal to his logical, sympathetic side. Maybe if you stress about how important your family is, that you don't want him to kill the only family you have, it might persuade him. Of course, it could just backfire on you, but at least you tried, right?"

"I see where you're coming from. But... I don't do emotional situations."

"You don't do emotional situations? You gotta be kidding me. How the hell do you imagine a successful relationship with Kurapika if you can't even do this much? Love isn't all roses and sunshine, Kuriya. Relationships are things that you have to work hard to maintain. What, you expect Kurapika to do all the emotional burden or something?"

"I... I don't know."

"Obviously. Do you want to be with him for the rest of your life? Or is this just infatuation?" Primna asked, looking straight into Kuriya's dark, stormy gray eyes.

"I'm not too certain. But he seems... dependable. And the few times I have interacted with him were pleasant. Responsible, but I could see that he has a soft side. That he cares deeply for his friends. I wish... not to anger him. However, it seems I've already done so."

"Huh. Way to spill the beans. But I get ya. I don't want to hurt or anger Leorio. Honestly, I think he's too good for me. Like, why should I go for him when he deserves someone so much better than me? Part of me thinks I'm selfish," Primna said. She gave a small laugh at her deepest, darkest insecurities.

"Maybe you don't deserve him. Maybe you do. But if you think he deserves someone better, don't you think you should think of it as he deserves whoever he wants? Perhaps now he wants nothing to do with you. Then all you can do is wish him well, hope that he finds happiness in someone who can give him it. But I think you should get closure. Hear it from his mouth; a concrete rejection will help you in the long run. Both for your health and controlling your bloodlust."

"What is this, therapy?" Primna snorted at her rhetorical question. "Now that we've swapped advice, I think I'm gonna see if I thought about grabbing the tags off from all the corpses I left." Primna got up, but realized the leeches that we're still on her. "Hey, Kuriya, could you get your damn leeches off? They're in the way," Primna said with a scowl.

With a small chuckle, Kuriya called back her leeches. They slid off of Primna, who was a bit disgusted by the sight of them, and made their way back to Kuriya. They wormed their way back to Kuriya's forearms and sunk below her flesh when they finally reached their destination. Then Kuriya turned off her Zetsu.

"God, those things are gross. Why leeches?" Primna asked.

"Because I've always been fascinated with leeches. This is goodbye for now," Kuriya said as she turned her back toward Primna and started to walk away.

"Bye to you too," Primna said harshly as she stalked in the opposite direction.

XXX

Haha! Take that Dad! Malli thought joyously as she evaded another Nen-infused card. She glanced behind her and noted that he was hellbent on killing her now. But I better lose him before I get too hurt.

Malli dodged another card as it flew straight past her.

It was then, out of the corner of her eye, that she saw her opportunity to shake Hisoka off her trail. She couldn't tell who it was, but someone was close. All Malli thought was how unlucky the person was.

She zipped on by, making sure to pass the person. Malli landed in a bush, hiding herself from Hisoka's predatory eyes. She looked at the figure, and realized something.

It's a little girl with white hair. Wait, isn't that..?

Hisoka and the girl was now facing each other.

That's Quino, Malli thought. She's part of the alliance. Oh no!

Malli watched on helplessly as Quino darted away, Hisoka hot on her trail.

Hehe, oopsie.

XXX

Why? Why, why, why, why, why, why, why?! Why do I seem to have the worst luck?

Quino felt tears gather in her eyes, but she wasn't sure if it was because she was scared or the wind whipping in her face.

She glanced behind her and saw the mad gleam in Hisoka the Magician's eyes.

What did I do to ever deserve this? I just wanted to have a nice stroll through the woods. But now I'm being chased by Hisoka! This is even worse than that one time I was chased by that gigantic snake on Whale Island!

Quino panted as she tried her best to outrun Hisoka.

The only problem was that Hisoka was proving to be faster than Quino as he got closer to the young girl little by little.

XXX

Malli had her arms crossed, her eyes closed, and her mouth was in a pout. She was thinking very hard.

Should I catch up to them? Maybe she can handle it on her own. She has no business breathing if she can't even defend herself. But... she doesn't know Nen. Eh, not my fault, right? I don't need to go rescue her, right?

Malli was starting to sweat bullets.

Maybe I should go. She can't really face off against Hisoka without Nen. I doubt she's even strong enough to fight off against him, even with Nen. Gah, she's so pathetic! But she's part of the alliance. Mmm, what to do, what to do...

"Why are you concentrating so hard?"

Malli's eyes shot open, registering the fact that someone was right in front of her. Unfortunately, it was the last person she wanted to see right now. Not because she disliked him. That would be far from the truth. It was more like she didn't want him to be disappointed in her. She hated it when she disappointed him, even more so when she annoyed or angered him.

Taking a deep breath, Malli said, "Hi, Killua, how are you doing? Nothing is wrong here, ya know? Just thought I could have a nice evening stroll. Or morning. Or day. Ya know, I don't even know what time it is. What time is it? Eh, nevermind, nobody really cares about that, do they? Now what are you doing here? Did you come to see me? That's so sweet!"

Killua looked at her with wide eyes, trying to decipher what he had just heard come from her mouth. "What?"

"Ehehe, um, well, that is, I- please don't hate me, Killua!" Malli said dramatically, falling down on her knees. She gave him her best puppy eyed look, begging for forgiveness.

Killua was so confused and perturbed. "W-what? Why would I hate you?"

Malli's puppy eyes were replaced with a look of guilt. When he didn't get an answer, he felt something was amiss.

"What did you do?" Killua asked, the tone of his voice betraying just how suspicion he was of her.

"I didn't mean to! I swear it!" Malli whined, pleading for forgiveness once more.

"What did you do?" Killua asked again. She noticed that he sounded a bit angry.

"I was just playing with my dad. You know, Hisoka. Anyway, we were going to play poker, but then I was like, 'Boo, poker sucks!' and then he was like, 'Too bad,' then I was like, 'I'd rather play blackjack,' 'cause it's my favorite card game, but he gave me a look that told me we were going to play a different kind of card game so I started running and Dad was chasing after me and then he got a bit too excited and his bloodlust started to control him and then it was too late and-"

"Get to the point," Killua warned with a dark look. Malli shivered at the look.

"Hisoka was chasing me, but I found someone to help shake his trail on me. I basically hid while Dad set his sights on the unlucky person. Which, well, um, that is-"

"Malli," Killua stated with a deathly cold glare.

"It was Quino, okay?! I didn't know I put Quino in danger until I saw Dad run after her! Please, I didn't mean to do that, I promise! If I'd known it was her, I would've changed directions. I didn't mean to put Quino in harms way. Please forgive me," Malli pleaded as if she had slighted royalty.

Killua sighed. "You didn't go after her and try to save her?"

She paused, gave a big audible gulp, and shook her head. "I-I didn't," she said in a small voice.

"Which way did they go?"

"I'm not sure," Malli said. She knew she could track them down by sensing their Nen, but she didn't want to accidentally slip up and reveal Nen to a non-Nen user.

"Great," Killua said, marching off into a random direction.

West. Opposite of where they ran. It's for the best. Malli followed after Killua, making sure to keep a safe distance from him and his ire.

XXX

Gon was distressed.

Quino was running like her life depended on it, but Hisoka was catching up with her.

I have to do it before he catches up to her. I have to save Quino.

He readied his fishing pole, making sure to keep pace with the both of them as he ran through the thick forest's covering.

Hisoka reached out his hand to her, intent on yanking on her hair and killing her in the process. He was so close when he felt something tug on the tag that was located on his chest.

It was as if time stopped itself. Quino and Hisoka froze, both of their eyes glued up onto Gon's body. In his hand was Hisoka's tag. #44.

Gon was the first one to move. He turned around and ran away, leaving Quino and Hisoka behind.

Hisoka, having forgotten Quino was right next to him, darted toward Gon's direction. The bloodlust and the maniacal look in his eyes told of his intentions.

Quino, left by both Gon and Hisoka, finally collected her bearings. She knew it was suicidal, that she should just escape while she can, but leaving behind Gon when he was in danger didn't sit right with her. With a rush of adrenaline flooding through her veins, Quino ran after Hisoka, hoping that she would make it in time to help Gon out.

* * *

Hey everybody!

I really wanted to post something for Thanksgiving. So here you are! Unless you're like a day ahead (or behind?), then this will be either late or early.

You know, Hisoka keeps appearing. Hey, maybe that'll be the title. Or maybe I'll name the chapter what I'd originally wanted to name it. So, basically in a nutshell, Kuriya and Primna are having problems in the love department, Malli screwed up big time and made Killua angry AND didn't tell him that he was going in the wrong direction (I'm making Malli look bad lol), and Quino is off to try and rescue Gon from imminent death (after Gon rescued Quino from imminent death lol).

I enjoyed writing this chapter. And I hope you enjoyed reading it! My life gets pretty busy and all but I really do enjoy writing. If I can also entertain people and give them something they can sit down and enjoy then that's even better.

With that said, I would like to thank all of you for your time and patience. I know I'm not updating like I used to... which at first started as everyday then got to weekly. I think. Thank you also for all the reviews, favorites, and follows that you readers have given this story. It helps boost my motivation to continue at a more timely manner. Or at least try to be timely.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! See ya in the next chapter. Bye bye!


	40. City x Girl x Dilemmas

If you're the type that's like: "Stop writing after every chapter!" Then I recommend you skip to the bold **bottom line** because I actually have something pretty important to say this time around (yay!) . If you take enjoyment in reading my stuff though (for whatever reason), then by all means!

I'm back!

"From what?" you may say. Well, a bunch of things. Partly because I've been thinking about redoing this fanfic and another because I've been taking a break from writing to do some reading. Every now and then I like to take breaks from writing to refresh my creativity with some reading.

So I've been reading fanfiction on this site from various works. And there was this one fanfic that I felt incredibly satisfied with (and it was pretty long might I add). Basically, it was about this one OC that was reincarnated (which is a pretty common plot) into a specific anime (ambiguity~), but totally changed everything (like, _everything_ that happened in the anime itself) and things turned out even better and, imo, _awesome_.

So, yeah, I'm inspired.

"What does this mean for the future of this fanfic?" you may or may not be thinking. Well, my dear readers, I think I'm going to be a bit more... adventurous. I'm not going to be going word for word anymore, though I'll be very aware of what really happens in the fanfic (both 1999 and 2011 since my fanfic kinda blends the two a bit, though 2011 dominates most of the content in this fanfic).

 **Bottom line** : When I'm going to redo this fanfic, I'll be doing it from a fresh start, and it'll be almost like a whole new story itself! Except for the obvious fact that it's from Hunter x Hunter and that Yoshihiro Togashi owns it. I'll be redoing this once I finish the Hunter Exam Arc!

If you're interested in knowing what piqued my interest and inspired me to pave the road toward sheer originality in a fanfic (which almost sounds like a paradox), then check out _Bolt from the Blue_ by _Umei no Mai_. It's rated M (for obvious reasons), but I loved the fic so much.

So, now that this wall of text is out of the way (lol), I'll go ahead and let you guys read.

Enjoy!

* * *

"All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought 'twas all in good fun. Pop, goes the–"

"Would you shut up already?" Killua said through gritted teeth. He had half a mind to just kill her.

"Oh, um, uh, s-sure," Malli said as she touched her cheek. She felt the warmth pooling there, and hoped it wasn't obvious that she was blushing.

They walked in tense silence. Malli felt more and more guilty with each step. After all, they were going the complete opposite way they were supposed to be going. Every step made it that much harder to tell Killua that she had purposely led them astray.

I'm... I'm a horrible person, aren't I? This... I want to speak up but... he'll hate me for sure, won't he? But if I don't say anything now she's... she might already be dead though. Gah! I want to say it! I'm such a coward! Just speak up already!

Meanwhile, Killua's attention was more on Malli's facial expressions than the dirt path they were going on. Who knew someone could be so expressive? Her expression would turn into one of embarrassment, then to guilt, then to fear, then to shame, then to worry, then to... she should really work on not being so expressive. That or she was bipolar.

I hate this! I want to speak but I can't speak, we're going in the wrong direction, Quino could be dead, the alliance would be in shambles if word gets out I basically killed her, Primna would probably hate me, Killua would probably hate me, his group would probably hate me, and Kuriya would be so disappointed in me that she'd pay for a one-way ticket back to Cirque de Shyr! I–

And that's when she noticed it. She now noticed that Killua was watching her.

Both Malli and Killua froze, Malli worried that he could somehow sense her guilt and Killua embarrassed that he had been caught staring. They simply stared at each other, frozen in their spots. Until–

"I'm so sorry, please don't hate me!" Malli practically yelled at the top of her lungs, the unbearable guilt inside of her reaching a height she could no longer keep inside.

Of course, Killua had no idea what she was on about. "What is it this time?" Killua asked, almost as if he was bothered by her.

"Um, well, the thing is, we might be, um, going in the wrong direction?" Malli said, her fear causing her confession to sound more like a question.

"Going in the wrong direction? How would you know that–" Killua stopped, looking Malli directly in the eyes. Her golden eyes widened, her fear almost tangible. "Why didn't you tell me we were going in the wrong direction?" he asked calmly, though Malli could sense that he was trying his best not to blow up on her, or maybe just outright kill her.

"You took off in the opposite direction. I wanted to tell you but... but I'm a coward," Malli said, trying her best not to stutter. She noticed how he never liked it when she stuttered.

"Malli, you better take me in the right direction. And you better not trick me, understand?" Killua demanded, his blue eyes growing dark with agitation.

"Understood!" Malli said, giving him a salute before turning around and going east.

"Malli."

She stopped, turning her head around to look back at Killua. He didn't look too angry anymore, but she could tell that if she said the wrong thing or made the wrong move it could set him off.

"We're not allies. Remember that."

Malli didn't know how to interpret that, but she did know that a part of her hurt. "'Kay," Malli said, turning her head away from him. "I'll keep that in mind."

Yes, a part of her did hurt.

XXX

Quino watched as Hisoka stalked toward an immobile Gon. She didn't know why Gon didn't get up and move. He was awake, she could see his glare on Hisoka. Whatever the case, Gon wasn't getting up and Hisoka was inching his way closer to him. Not to mention that body that was just lying beside Gon was alarming. She needed to step in, now.

"Leave Gon alone!" Quino yelled, making Hisoka stop in his tracks and look behind him. She looked him right in the eyes, trying her best to not show her fear. Though her body was slowly starting to shake, and looking into his eyes started to make her regret speaking up. "I don't know what you're thinking of doing to him, but I won't let you harm him," Quino declared, pointing a shaky finger at Hisoka.

"And what do you think you can do?"

Quino clenched her hands into fists, trying to figure out how she was going to pull this off.

There's no way I could beat Hisoka. That much is a given. At least not at my current level. I could use my environment, but that won't really do me good. The only thing I have on me is... I don't think it'll do much in this situation. Though if it's my only weapon...

With a sigh, Quino reached into her pocket and pulled out a small smithing hammer. Hisoka perked up an eyebrow at that.

"A tiny hammer? What are you going to do with that?"

"I'm going to pummel you with it, obviously. And when did I ever say that it was tiny?" Quino said, puzzling Hisoka.

"It looks small," Hisoka pointed out.

Quino smirked. "Sure, we'll go with that."

She charged at Hisoka, readying her hammer to hit him. Hisoka drew out a card, coating it with Nen. Just when she was close to him, he quickly closed the gap, intent on breaking her hammer in two. Card and hammer clashed, and to Hisoka's surprise, the hammer didn't break even with the force of Hisoka's Nen. Hisoka jumped back, examining his card then studying the hammer in Quino's hand.

"Hmm, how interesting," Hisoka muttered.

"Dynamis didn't even do anything to that stupid card. What is that thing made out of? And how come this weighs more than usual?" Quino muttered under her breath. She didn't dare look away from Hisoka even though she really wanted to inspect her smithing hammer.

"What a delightful weapon," Hisoka said, a grin forming on his face.

"Usually I would take that as a compliment, but the only thing you manage to do is make me uncomfortable," Quino said with a huff.

Hisoka chuckled, then threw a card at her.

Her life flashed before her eyes as she stood there frozen. She kept telling herself to move out of the way, but that wasn't happening. Her legs just wouldn't move. But... there was something in her. She wasn't sure what it was, but she did know that it felt like it was going to burst out of her. She didn't know how to describe it, wasn't even sure if she'd make any sense.

Then something happened. Dirt flew up in the air and it suddenly felt so hot. Too hot. Then there was no longer dirt. And what she saw made her freeze. Hisoka was still there, but he was lying on the ground and unconscious.

What... just happened? One second I was fearing for my life, then I felt something well up inside of me, then I couldn't see and it was so hot... then Hisoka's unconscious. What happened?

She looked at her surroundings, trying to make sense of what just happened. Dirt was everywhere and it looked like a bomb just went off. Some of the nearby trees were uprooted and lying on the ground or stuck in another tree.

Did a bomb go off? Was that it? I... I have no idea. But whatever happened, I need to find Gon. I hope that explosion didn't hurt him.

She looked around in apprehension, hoping that Gon was fine. She spotted him and ran towards his body. He was covered in dirt, but he looked fine for the most part. Though he did look like he was sleeping.

Doesn't matter. I just need to get out of here. I have a feeling people might come to see what happened. And I doubt it'll be anyone friendly.

With that in mind, Quino quickly situated Gon on her back and ran as fast as she could away from the chaotic scene.

XXX

Kuriya sensed a burst of Nen before she saw what looked like a fountain of dirt rise high into the sky. To say she was surprised would be an understatement.

So much Nen. It felt uncontrolled. I also have no idea who that was. Even so...

Kuriya looked back at the tree she was carving up. Her katana glistened in the sun. She had cleaned it to the best of her ability with what she had available to her.

Well, I suppose I can investigate. Just a quick look.

She sheathed her katana, feeling her arms strain from the action. Then she took off toward the east at breakneck speed.

XXX

Primna squatted on the tree branch she had landed on, taking care not to be spotted by the other applicants around her. She stared in awe at the sight before her. Dirt was strewn about everywhere, as if someone had flipped the ground and caused dirt to fly up everywhere. Though it wasn't far from the truth.

"Primna?"

She whipped her head in the direction of the voice, realizing that Kuriya was directly to her right. She wasn't even that far away. Primna was concerned that she hadn't noticed her there.

Was she there the whole time?

"Hey. Who do you think done it?" Primna asked, making sure not to speak too loudly. She didn't want anybody else to realize she was right there.

"I have no idea. That signature was new."

"So someone just awakened?" Primna couldn't believe that. It was too coincidental for something like that to happen.

"Perhaps. I tried to search for that signature, but I haven't spotted it," Kuriya informed. She glanced around, making sure no one has realized them yet.

"So, it just flared up and disappeared?"

"It would seem so," Kuriya agreed.

"That makes no sense," Primna grunted.

"Whether it makes sense or not, that is the reality," Kuriya grumbled. Her eyes scanned the vicinity, trying to find details that could determine what could have led up to this.

"Right, sure. We don't even know if that's true, Kuriya," Primna stated harshly.

Kuriya's eyes narrowed then focused on Primna. "It's very obvious that's what happened. How else do you explain this?" Kuriya snapped, her voice raising higher without meaning to.

"Maybe you're wrong. Have you ever thought of it like that?" Primna shot back, refusing to let Kuriya's assumptions become fact.

"Do you doubt my abilities?" Kuriya asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm just saying that you might have overlooked something. What's crawled up your ass anyway? A bit emotional, don't ya think? Thought you didn't do 'emotional situations'."

Kuriya fully glared at Primna. "At least I have more self control than you do, Miss Bloodlust."

Primna growled, feeling the urge to charge at Kuriya. "Oh, yeah? Then what about that sweet tooth you try to hide from everybody? Pot calling the kettle black, don't ya think?"

Feeling the tension, Primna withdrew two hairpins while Kuriya unsheathed her katana.

"You'll regret what you just said," Kuriya spat with malice.

"Oh yeah? Who's to say I won't beat your ass, huh?" Primna snidely remarked.

Both forgetting the fact that almost all of the applicants were checking out the scene, Primna and Kuriya jumped into the clearing that looked like a war zone and clashed.

XXX

Leorio and Kurapika watched as two figures suddenly dropped into the clearing and charged at each other.

"You think you're so fucking great, don't ya? News flash: I'm about to kick your ass!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. You may be smart, but you're hardly as experienced as I am."

Leorio turned to look at Kurapika to see that his eyes were glaring red. The sight of them sent a shiver down Leorio's back. He looked back at the two fighting. Kuriya had managed to slice Primna's left cheek, but Primna had managed to sucker punch Kuriya's right cheek.

"You're just an abominable brute with hardly any brains," Kuriya spat as she slashed down at Primna's shoulder.

Primna managed to parry it with her hairpin, something that impressed Leorio. "Hah, you calling me stupid now?"

"You just proved my point," Kuriya said with a devilish smirk.

"You're such a little shit. No wonder you don't have many friends, you fucking bitch!" Primna threw a hairpin at Kuriya, which she barely avoided.

To be honest, Leorio and Kurapika could barely keep up with their movements.

"Who needs friends? They only get in the way," Kuriya stated, charging at Primna.

"God, you're so fucking full of yourself!" Primna yelled, clashing with Kuriya once again.

The collision was too strong this time. Primna's last hairpin had flown out of her hand. Kuriya's katana had also flown out of her hand, but not before grazing her own shoulder in the process. Both had no weapon.

"If friends get in the way, then what about Malli? Huh? Is she just an obstacle?" Primna was at her wits end with Kuriya.

"Malli isn't friend. Family. No need for friends. Get right," Kuriya yelled, throwing a punch toward Primna's face.

Primna caught the reckless punch, gripping it strongly in her hand. "She's family? Cut the crap, Kuriya. You're deluding yourself. Malli isn't your fucking relative. Get it? She's. A. Friend!" Primna yelled, grabbing Kuriya's long black hair.

"No friends. Family. Only family. All I ever need," Kuriya spat, elbowing Primna hard in the gut.

Unfortunately, Primna didn't see the blow coming. With a gasp, she let go of Kuriya's hair. Kuriya was going to elbow her neck when both Leorio and Kurapika came out of the bush they were hiding in.

"Hey, knock it off!" Leorio yelled.

Kuriya looked at Leorio, glanced at Kurapika, then stared back at Leorio. Primna, who was a bit winded by Kuriya's punch to her gut, did her best to give her attention to Leorio.

"...doing here?" Kuriya muttered, though Primna couldn't hear the fist part of it.

"We were wondering what happened here. Then you both came onto the scene to have a fight," Kurapika said, giving a summary of what they were doing there. Though Primna was pretty sure that Kuriya didn't want to know why they were there in the first place. She knew the black-haired girl wanted to know why they intervened.

"Don't regret fight," Kuriya said, practically snarling in contempt.

"Huh?" Leorio apparently couldn't understand her. Or was it he couldn't understand her sudden need to defend herself?

"You're full of shit and you know it," Primna said through gritted teeth. She was still gasping a little, but was otherwise fine.

Kuriya darted her eyes toward Primna and gave her a deadly glare. Primna didn't wince. Instead, she glared right back.

"Aren't you guys friends?"

Kuriya trained her glare on Leorio, who did wince.

"It's complicated," Primna said with a grin.

"No, it isn't. We aren't friends. I don't have a need for friends," Kuriya said sternly.

"Hah, nah, don't believe you. Malli's your friend. We're... who the hell knows but let's just say we're friends so we aren't confused," Primna said, looking a bit confused during the last bit. "Not a lot of friends, but you're the type who doesn't need a bunch of friends."

"I don't need friends."

Primna sighed. She walked close to Kuriya, leaned down, and whispered into her ear, "The people who raise us have the job of guiding us. But we are our own person. You can be whoever you want. You can cry, you can laugh, you can smile, and you can definitely have as many friends as you want. It might be harder, it might even be more painful, but nothing gained without a little blood, sweat, and tears, am I right?" When she was done, she put a little distance between them.

She watched as Kuriya's glare softened, even if just a little bit, watched as her deep frown lightened, and then heard her scoff under her breath.

All in all, Primna felt she had successfully diffused the possible fight that Kuriya could've gotten into with Leorio. She herself could barely keep up, and Leorio definitely couldn't keep up with her so there's no way he could've hold his own with Kuriya.

Short of a miracle if he actually succeeded, Primna thought with a barely discernible smirk.

"You chill now?" Primna asked, extending her hand out as if they had ended a discussion. It wasn't as if they had made a business deal, or that they had traded intel. It was a gesture that had unintentionally blended into even the most mundane of situations.

"Right as rain," Kuriya said, clasping her hand into Primna's. They shook on it, a silent but meaningful gesture between the two. Then they let the handshake unravel, the connection that they had just formed disappearing.

But Primna and Kuriya's bond was silent and flexible; it is and always will be there even if they refuse to acknowledge it.

"Well, since we're all here, why don't we take a stroll through this nice forest and enjoy nature?" Primna asked, a grin splitting her lips.

Kuriya felt eyes all over the four of them, but she didn't care. She could take them on, even without her katana.

XXX

"Hmm, so, what's your favorite candy?"

No response.

"Do you like candy? I really do! Especially the sour ones! Mmm, so good~" Malli giggled, "Though I don't like sweets. But Kuri likes sweet candy. And chocolate. She really likes chocolate. Oh! But don't tell Kuri I told you. She'd have a fit."

Still no response.

"Do you like chocolate?"

Malli was starting to think that Killua was either deaf, ignoring her, or turned into a brick wall.

"So what's your favorite animal? I like snakes! They're scaly, and they shed and can swallow prey whole! It's fun to watch~"

"Why are you so weird?"

"Huh?"

Killua took a shaky breath. "Why are you so weird? What girl likes to watch a snake swallow their prey whole?!"

"You don't like snakes?" Malli questioned.

"It's not that, just answer the question," Killua pressed.

Malli didn't really know how to respond. "I think it's cool that their flexible like that. I'd choke if I tried to do that. And they're pretty."

"Pretty?" Killua said disbelievingly.

"Yeah. They're exotic and pretty. There's something about them that are so... entrancing," Malli paused, as if to collect her thoughts, "but the thing I like about snakes the most is that they're all pretty much deadly one way or another. Pretty, but dangerous. Snakes remind me of Dad sometimes."

Killua drew his gaze away from the dirt path and focused his eyes on her. "Why do you care about your dad so much?"

The question brought Malli's attention back to reality. She hadn't realized that she was staring wistfully into space until she snapped out of her thoughts. "Why shouldn't I? He's my dad."

"Hisoka just seems so..." Killua didn't know how to finish his sentence.

"I know that a lot of people are afraid of him. He can be scary," Malli said with a smile.

"Are you scared of him?"

"Not really." Malli giggled, as if the thought of being scared of him was funny. "Well, unless he's calm. That's when he's scary."

"Calm? You mean when he's normal?"

Malli gasped. "Yeah, exactly! When he isn't dramatic or childish or bloodthirsty or conniving, he's very _very_ scary."

Killua looked confused, though Malli couldn't understand why. The very thought of a very normal Hisoka was her definition of a nightmare. Because a very normal Hisoka meant he was serious, and that's usually when she'd get punished or hurt the most.

"I can't really picture Hisoka being normal," Killua muttered as they continued down the dirt path that they had come from.

I hope you won't ever seen him like that, Malli thought with apprehension.

XXX

Quino sighed as she looked down at Gon's unconscious body.

She didn't really know what to do, and that thought bothered her. When she was back at Barbs' Irons, she knew what she was doing. She knew how to run the house, how to run the shop, how to manipulate the customers (although she'd never take advantage of them), and she definitely knew how to take care of someone when they were sick. Her mother had been susceptible to sicknesses, fevers especially.

But now that she was out in a forest with an unconscious, paralyzed twelve year old who felt a little too hot to be considered fine, Quino had no idea where to start.

If he's going to start running a fever, I need to cool him down, Quino thought. She looked outside, seeing that it was most likely evening.

While she was happy that she had managed to find enough space for the both of them in a tree hollow big enough for them, she didn't really like the idea of climbing in and out of it.

She started climbing out of the tree's hollow base, intent on figuring out how to carry some water.

But upon stepping down onto the ground, Quino realized something.

She really had no idea what she was doing.

I'm a city girl. I'm a city girl who has no idea how to survive in the wilderness. Gon's so screwed.

Quino sighed.

Okay, first things first. I need water. Maybe I could get some grass, wet it, and put it on Gon's head? Or leaves? I'll collect both, see what works. But what if he is allergic to the grass or leaves? No, he's _from_ the wild. I'm sure he doesn't have allergies from those things. Right? But he'll need to drink water too. He needs it to survive. How am I going to transport water?

Quino furrowed her brow, not knowing what to do.

You know, I never thought of it, but what if Gon has something in his backpack...

Quino frowned.

Looking through people's stuff is rude. But this is an emergency. And as an emergency, if Gon has _anything_ that could help in this situation...

Quino took in a deep breath, mentally preparing herself.

I hope to whatever high being is out there that something that would help me will be in there. Because, well, I'm not too keen on finding only clothes in there. Or underwear for that matter.

With a heavy sigh, Quino climbed back into the tree hollow. She slid Gon's backpack off his shoulders and grabbed the zipper.

Here goes...

Opening up the backpack, she searched through it, hoping to find something that would make this dilemma a whole lot easier.

Quino found a water bottle.

"Yes!" she yelled, opening it up.

Now how am I supposed to–

"Of course," Quino muttered. She ripped a part of her tank top, happy for once about the fact that it was a bit long on her. "Looks like you worked in my favor after all."

She dumped a little bit of water onto the cloth and placed it neatly on his forehead.

Okay, we've got something to cool him off and a bit of water on the side in case he wakes up and wants some water.

Quino watched Gon's chest rise and fall shakily.

Don't worry Gon, I'll get you better in no time. I'm not completely hopeless, Quino thought as she sat against the tree hollow's base and closed her eyes.


	41. Strolls x Lemon Pops x (&) Smiles

There was only tense silence. Despite the fresh air, the gentle breeze, and the tall trees that shaded them from the sun's rays, there was that underlying tension that was driving Primna crazy. And for some reason, she was the only one who seemed to be having a problem with it.

"Ya know, when I suggested a stroll through the forest, I could've sworn I said _nice_ ," Primna said as calmly as possible. Unless she was using her babysitter persona, which she hadn't used in some time to her relief, then calm wasn't in her dictionary. Especially when it was as tense as it was right now.

"Humans can be rather inattentive creatures," Kuriya retorted as she continued to look forward. She didn't dare look anywhere else.

"You're human too, ya know," Primna muttered with a heavy sigh.

"I never mentioned excluding myself," Kuriya stated coldly.

"Fine. You can be a stick in the mud for all I care," Primna said with a scowl. She really wanted to lighten up the mood, but she couldn't figure out how to do it. At least, not in a gentle way.

"Um, it is kind of awkward," Leorio spoke up for the first time since the stroll.

"Awkward? Did I miss something?" Primna asked thoughtlessly. She couldn't think of anything that could warrant this much tension. Well, it could be—

"Hmm, you and Leorio had a bit of a falling out. The Kurta and I hate our existences. I think there is enough between all of us to warrant this tension," Kuriya pointed out to Primna.

"S-shut up, Kuriya! I knew that! It was a rhetorical question," Primna said grumpily.

"Of course," Kuriya responded, not believing Primna one bit.

Primna could tell that Kuriya didn't believe in her and that infuriated her. "Okay, so I forgot all that. Could we at least try to talk?"

"I doubt the Kurta would want to talk, nevermind be present," Kuriya commented.

"Look, maybe we could talk things out now?" Primna said with impatience.

"Some simply don't want to speak," Kuriya said.

"Yeah, coming from the most secretive one here," Primna said dryly.

"No one needs to know everything about me. Is that so hard to wrap your brain around?"

"Oh don't get me started," Primna said, pointing an accusing finger at Kuriya. "Is it really that hard to make up with people? Like, really? I think it's people's damn ego that makes it so hard. Guess what? It's easy to say 'I'm sorry', Kuriya!"

"I doubt it is as easy as you make it," Kuriya retorted.

"You—"

"You two seem close," Leorio said.

Primna saw the look of amusement on his face. She couldn't understand why he thought their argument was funny. "Guess you could say that," Primna said, throwing in a discreet response for once.

Kuriya scoffed. "If I hadn't enlisted you as my partner, you would've been killed or rotting in jail by now."

Primna frowned. "Yeah, don't remind me. I didn't know those people were businessmen. At least important ones."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Leorio questioned, wondering what kind of crime Primna did.

"Well, there were these three businessmen who acted more like thugs than civilized people. Anyway, they tried to pickpocket me. I didn't like it, and I tried telling them to leave me alone or else. Guess they didn't get what 'or else' meant. One minute they were breathing, the next not so much."

Leorio's eyes widened, as if the mere thought of killing someone was horrible. Or maybe it was the way that Primna had casually said it that unnerved him.

"Primna and I met soon after, I saw potential in her. Therefore, I enlisted her as my partner. She's been a valuable asset since," Kuriya said as her gaze flitted around their surroundings.

"Yeah, basically."

"What does she accomplish for you as your partner?" Kurapika asked, suspicion prominent in his eyes.

Primna glanced down at Kuriya, wondering what she would reveal.

"She and I would trade information. She knew things I didn't, I knew things she didn't," Kuriya said with no hesitation.

Though Primna knew that Kuriya didn't reveal much of anything. She was fine with that though. The less they knew about what their partnership entailed, the happier she was.

"So, we're currently in the Fourth Phase. And it's over in two days. Everyone got all the tags they need to pass?" Primna asked, dissuading the conversation from the current topic.

Kuriya frowned. "No, actually. Do you perhaps have extra tags that I may have?"

"And do all the work for you? That doesn't seem fair to the rest of us," Primna said with a grin, a chuckle spilling out of her lips soon after.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to go hunting," Kuriya said with a small smile. She stopped walking, her eyes fixated solely on Primna.

"On second thought, maybe I should give you some. I don't need _all_ of them," Primna said as she stopped in her tracks and reached into her jeans' pocket. She took out ten tags, then put one back in her jeans' pocket. "Any of these yours by any chance?"

By this point, both Leorio and Kurapika stopped walking, eyeing the tags in Primna's hands.

"Wow, you have so many!" Leorio said, his eyes widening with how many were displayed in front of him.

"How many people did you kill to get all those tags?" Kurapika asked with a dark expression.

Primna looked down at Kurapika with a cold look, her face expressionless. "Don't sweat it, short stuff."

"You're a murderer," Kurapika said, his eyes blazing in scarlet.

"She wasn't in control of herself," Kuriya stated, positioning herself between Primna and Kurapika.

Primna felt honored that Kuriya was even defending her. And she knew Kuriya enough to know that Kuriya is aware Primna could definitely take on Kurapika if necessary. There was no need to get in the way, but Kuriya was doing it anyway, intentionally or not.

Kurapika glanced between Kuriya and Primna, as if gauging who he should fight first. Kuriya simply stood there, her eyes focused solely on Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes.

Maybe Kuriya is actually protecting Kurapika, Primna thought for a fleeting moment.

"Well, with the obvious aside, any of these tags yours, partner?" Primna said, trying to grab Kuriya's attention.

"The very most right, your right. #158," Kuriya said, her eyes still glued to the Kurta's.

Primna sighed. She picked out the tag from the other eight, then tossed #158's tag to Kuriya. Kuriya caught it and shoved it in her trench coat's pocket. "Gotcha. Any of you guys need a tag or three?" Primna asked with amusement.

Kurapika glared at Primna. "I have my tag. Even if I didn't, I wouldn't take a single tag from you," he said menacingly.

"So you think you're better than me? Is that it? Some self-righteous jerk you are," Primna snidely remarked, fed up with Kurapika's attitude. "You didn't kill the guy who had your tag, did you? So you think that somehow makes you better, doesn't it?"

"Primna, stop. Antagonizing him will only make this worse," Kuriya warned.

"Um, I don't have my target's tag," Leorio piped up, feeling on edge with the whole situation but hoping that speaking up will disengage them both from a potential fight. His face was set in a pensive stare, his gaze switching between Kurapika and Primna.

"Oh, any of these yours?" Primna asked, her eyes softening and locking on to Leorio's form.

"No, #264 is my target," Leorio revealed.

"#264? Ponzu?" Kuriya muttered, looking away from Kurapika to stare in the distance.

Primna knew that Kuriya was in deep thought now. "Well, you could take three of these. That would earn you a pass," Primna suggested with a lighthearted grin.

Leorio shook his head. "I'd rather look for #264. Do you know who that is?" Leorio said, directing his question toward Kuriya who had snapped out of her thoughts.

"Well, that would be Ponzu. She was an interest of mine, so I've been spying on her since," Kuriya informed matter-of-factly.

"How many people have you spied on?" Kurapika asked, his eyes dark with suspicion.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're very judgmental?" Primna snapped, no longer able to hide her rising ire toward Kurapika.

"I spy on people of interest. Currently, that would be four people," Kuriya stated, not acknowledging Primna's anger.

"Who are these four people, exactly?" Kurapika pressed.

Primna felt like he was trying to condemn Kuriya, just like he had tried to condemn Primna. Or maybe she was just jumping to conclusions.

"Why are you so interested in me? After all, aren't you going to kill my family and myself in the near future?"

"What?!" Leorio blurted out, eyes narrowing at Kurapika in anger. "You're going to kill her and her family?"

"Yes. Her family is the Phantom Troupe, and she herself will be joining them in the near future," Kurapika stated.

Leorio looked at Kuriya, but Kuriya ignored him.

"Stop hurting her already you ass! Look, I don't care if the Phantom Troupe were to keel over and die. But I care about Kuriya, so quick being a self-righteous, bigoted jerk already!" Primna shouted marching toward Kurapika in outrage.

Leorio grabbed Primna's wrist, gripping her tightly to stop her from starting a fight.

Kurapika was seething, and Kuriya was about to attempt to restrain him if necessary.

However, something unexpected happened.

Primna gasped as she felt her wrist flare up in pain. Leorio felt her wrist grow damp, and he wasn't sure why. He let go, and she quickly covered her wrist with her other hand.

"Damn it," Primna muttered under her breath. She looked around nervously, trying to figure out where she could hide.

"Primna, why is your wrist wet?" Leorio asked, puzzled by what he felt. He looked down at his hand and he saw faint red spots in his palm.

"When did you do this?" Kuriya asked, approaching a panicked and wide-eyed Primna.

Primna flinched, taking a step back each time Kuriya took a step toward her. "What are you talking about?"

A red line bled down her arm, a droplet splattering onto the dirt below.

"There's no use hiding it. When did you do this?" Kuriya broached, her eyes locked onto Primna's form.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. No one needs to know. No one," Primna said breathlessly, her eyes slowly turning glassy.

"She looks like she's starting to hyperventilate," Leorio said with concern.

Kuriya sighed. "Just my luck." She quickly closed the gap between Primna and her, managing to catch Primna just before she collapsed.

Leorio rushed over, checking her pulse.

"Just patch up her arms," Kuriya said in a grim tone, her eyes containing guilt. "She'll be fine."

"But I need to make sure—"

"This isn't the first time. She had a panic attack. She _won't_ be fine if you don't address her arms," Kuriya pressed, giving Leorio an icy look.

"Okay, fine. I'll check her arms," Leorio muttered, trusting that Kuriya knew Primna enough to know she would be fine after this.

He saw that the arm that he had grabbed, her left arm, had blood bleeding through the fabric of her long sleeve. Leorio rolled up the sleeve, identifying five clean cuts. They were straight, methodical, as if—

Not wanting to believe the thought that cropped up, he rolled up the other arm's sleeve to reveal three other cuts. They seemed like they were healed, for the most part.

"Does she do this often?" Leorio asked somberly, tending to her bloody arm.

"No. Which is why I'm wondering why she did it this time," Kuriya asked, inspecting Primna's other arm. "She usually doesn't do as much, and it isn't an often occurrence either. Something must have hurt her deeply recently to cause this," Kuriya stated coldly, though she tried to rack her brain for anything that could have possibly affected Primna this much to cause her to resort to this. However hard she tried, however, she simply couldn't think straight. Her thoughts were too scrambled to properly think about it.

"You seem close," Leorio commented as he finished dressing her wound.

"See our relationship however you want," Kuriya said, leaving it at that.

Leorio sighed, closing his briefcase. "She can't do this again."

Kuriya chuckled darkly. "I've told her the same. She doesn't listen to me."

"What are we going to do now that she's unconscious?" Kurapika said.

Leorio flinched; Kuriya simply looked up at Kurapika. They didn't know Kurapika had closed the distance between them.

"I'll carry her," Leorio said, trying to get her up onto his back. But he was struggling to.

"No, need. I'll do it," Kuriya said, grabbing Primna from Leorio.

"But you can't possibly—"

Kuriya effortlessly swung Primna onto her back and started walking. The only problem was that Primna was a good eight inches taller than Kuriya, making Kuriya awkwardly walk and stumble every now and then.

"Aren't you coming?" Kuriya called out behind her, noticing the two boys had simply watched her go on.

Kurapika and Leorio trailed behind, with Leorio asking every so often to carry Primna.

Kuriya hoped she wouldn't be driven insane by Leorio's constant bugging.

XXX

Malli really wanted a Lemon Pop.

Who would have ever thought that I would be held captive? Well, not like I can't break free or anything. I could, if I really wanted to. And I'm really starting to want to because this man's arm pit smells _nasty_. Not to mention the guy isn't even all that strong, and he isn't even putting the knife to my throat right! It needs to be closer, let the person feel fear course through their veins. This whole situation is boring! But I'll be a damsel in distress any day if Killua will rescue me.

"Let go of her," Killua warned, his face looking more annoyed than concerned.

Hmm, I didn't stop to think if Killua liked strong or weak girls. He looks more annoyed than concerned, so maybe he likes stronger ones?

"Hah, fat chance kid. Now give us your tag and no one gets hurt," one of the Amori brothers said.

Malli didn't know which one it was, and she didn't really care.

Killua sighed and looked fed up with the whole situation.

Okay, I don't think he likes weak girls. Well, time for plan B!

"You know, you're really bad at holding a hostage," Malli spoke up, catching all the boys off guard. "And I'm bored. I was going to play along, but Killua isn't amused whatsoever, so I'm just going to take care of this real quick."

Before the Amori brothers could register what she was going on about, Malli gripped the hand that held the knife to her throat. Then she clamped on it with a vice grip, and the Amori brother holding her screamed out as a pop echoed in the forest. The Amori brother had let her go, his face distorting in pain.

"Imori!" one of the brothers yelled in concern. The other brother, the much bigger of the three, launched himself at her. She sidestepped out of the way casually and then kicked the man's back, making him fall on the ground. Then she launched at the other two brothers, grabbing the one tending to Imori by the head and ramming his head face first into the hard ground before punching Imori in the face, effectively knocking both of them out.

"You'll pay for doing this!" the bigger Amori brother said as he charged at her once again. She dodged out of the way, kicked his legs out from underneath him, and slammed her body down onto him, elbowing the middle of his back. She was careful not to hit his spinal chord, though. He struggled to get up, but couldn't. For extra measure, Malli kicked him in the head hard enough to knock him out, but not enough to crack his head open.

Malli sighed exasperatedly, fishing into her shorts' pocket. Her face lit up and she pulled out a Lemon Pop out of the confines of her shorts, unwrapping and popping the treat into her mouth in record time.

Killua, meanwhile, just stood there and watched with wide eyes. He wasn't expecting her to be able to hold her own. He also wasn't expecting her to be _that_ good.

With her sour tooth satisfied, Malli took notice of Killua's stunned expression.

"What? What happened? Aw, did you see something that I didn't while I was taking down those guys?" Malli asked with a pout, not liking the idea of missing out on something spectacular.

"No, I just... I didn't know you could do that," Killua said with a blush.

"Huh? Oh, that! So you _do_ like strong girls," Malli said with a smirk, silently praising herself for being so perceptive.

"That's not it," Killua said, "I didn't know you were that strong."

"Really? It's not that surprising. I can't entertain my dad if I'm weak," Malli said with a giggle.

"Entertain your dad? What does that have to do with being weak?" Killua asked, perplexed by what she had just said.

"Well, I can't be easy prey. Daddy doesn't like easy prey," Malli said with a thoughtful expression.

"He attacks his own daughter?" Killua, as much as he'd like to imagine Hisoka wouldn't do that, couldn't see him _not_ doing that.

"No, he doesn't attack me. It's just a game of cat and mouse," Malli said it as if it were normal. But Killua knew that that wasn't normal. At least, he was pretty sure. His own background wasn't exactly picture perfect itself.

"We should get going," Killua said, prompting an end to the conversation.

Malli nodded her head, following after Killua with a smile.

It was getting dark, and the wind was picking up much to Killua's chagrin. He would put up with it, as he had since the Fourth Phase had started. But that didn't mean he liked it.

"Hey, Killua?"

"Yeah?" he responded back, not bothering to look back at Malli.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Killua frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. "What are you sorry about?"

"I just feel like I've been really selfish lately. I'm starting to get the feeling like I'm letting everyone down, and I want to do better. So... since you're here, I wanted to say sorry. For being selfish and acting weak," Malli said quietly.

But Killua heard her loud and clear, and he felt heat pool in his cheeks. He didn't understand what all he was feeling, but he did identify that he was definitely embarrassed.

"Okay, just don't do it again," Killua responded. Though he was still confused about what Malli even meant by that. It wasn't like they were that close, or even friends for that matter. Or were they?

Killua's response made Malli smile. She hoped she could do better by her friends in the near future. She hated the feeling of being buried in guilt.

XXX

Quino took a step back, eyeing the Rhapsidion Snake. It hadn't noticed her yet, even though she had almost stepped on it. To be honest, she wasn't even sure what the black and blue-striped thing was until she saw a rattle shoot up in the air. It was then she realized it was a snake. She was _really_ starting to not like snakes.

Okay, Quino, it's okay. It hasn't noticed—

The Rhapsidion Snake turned its head, looking directly at her. It slithered its forked tongue out, revealing a green gel-like substance covering its tongue.

Quino froze, her eyes locked onto the snake's eerie yellow eyes. The snake, in turn, peered straight into Quino's burgundy eyes.

Well, it's noticed me, Quino thought as she took another cautious step back. Maybe if I'm slow and quiet enough—

Crunch!

Quino's gaze shot down to her right foot, the split twig proof that she had essentially jinxed herself. It was times like these where she cursed her dumb luck.

The snake coiled up and Quino took that as her cue to run.

With a speed that rivaled Hisoka's, the snake threw its body at her in an attempt to pierce its fangs into her. However, Quino had put enough distance between the snake and her. The snake was only two inches away from her before its body plopped down onto the ground.

Quino bolted through the forest, intent on going back to the tree hollow that she had dubbed as her and Gon's base. Well, at least until Gon wakes up.

Adrenaline rushed through her veins, and she had almost ran past her base of operations. But she had skidded to a halt, the momentum almost making her fall on her back, and she approached the tree hollow with shaky steps.

This adrenaline sure is making me quakey, Quino thought as she climbed into the tree hollow.

Her feet landed with a soft thud, her eyes locking onto the unconscious form lying on the ground. She sighed with relief, the motion of Gon's relaxed breathing helping her calm down. Quino kneeled down next to Gon's form, taking the damp leaf off his forehead and replacing the leaf with the back of her hand. She took his temperature, noting that he didn't feel hot anymore.

He doesn't have a fever anymore.

Quino retracted her hand from his forehead.

Okay, now what?

Quino pondered on her options, wanting to make sure she had thought through everything.

I could get some more water, but I don't want to leave with Gon's water bottle on the off chance he wakes up and is really thirsty. Then there's food. I don't really know what berries are safe to eat, but I guess it isn't too bad to try and catch some fish. Gon wouldn't be too mad if I borrowed his fishing rod, would he? Oh, but then I have to make sure he doesn't flare up with a fever again. What if he gets a cold this time? I could attempt to block the tree hollow with something so cold air is reduced—

"Quino."

She flinched, caught off guard by the sudden voice. She was so lost in thought trying to cover all her grounds that she hadn't realized that Gon had woken up. Quino turned her head to look at him and saw that his eyes were looking at her.

"How are you feeling?" Quino asked.

"Tired," he muttered.

She could tell he barely had the strength to keep his eyes open.

"Then go back to sleep," Quino coaxed. She didn't want him to force himself to stay awake.

"How long have I been..." Gon said, his voice laced with exhaustion as he closed his eyes and fell asleep mid-sentence.

For a moment, Quino forgot all about the thoughts of the past that had been keeping her up at night, the stress she was going through trying to keep Gon and herself alive, and the various crises that Quino found possible that may very well happen tomorrow. It was at this moment in time that she had been free from all the burdens she had been enduring.

She smiled, dimples emerging on the edges of her lips.

But of course, it was only for a moment. After all, Quino still had many things to think through before calling it a night. It was enough to brighten Quino's spirits though.

* * *

Hey everybody!

I'm finally done with this chapter. Kind of got burnt out of writing mid-chapter. Then came back to it about a week later (a.k.a. Thursday).

Thank you my awesome readers for taking the time to read my story. Seriously, I appreciate the time spent.

And to all of my story favoriters (yeah, it's not a word but now it is haha), I hope I haven't made you hate me. For taking forever to update this fanfic, that is.

And to all of my story followers, I hope you haven't lost interest. But even if you have, I will understand (and now "People are People" by Depeche Mode is playing in my head... my brain works in mysterious ways).

Oh! Almost forgot. **Hunter x Hunter belongs to Togashi Yoshihiro. Which includes Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Killua, Hisoka, etc.** But I do own snarky Kuriya, abrasive Primna, eccentric Malli, and worrywart Quino. Oh, and Quino's wayward adoptive mother.

'Nuff said! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter enough to not come at me with pitchforks and torches for taking so long with it! Eh, but strange humor aside, I'll have the next chapter up and ready to be read real soon. Bye bye for now!


	42. Bye x Zevil x Island

"We're here," Malli claimed, stopping in her tracks. At least she hoped the Nen signature that she had gone toward belonged to Quino.

"How do you know?" Killua asked.

...How do I explain that?

"Ahaha, well," Malli paused, placing a delicate finger to her chin. Then she gasped dramatically and shouted, "Instinct!" Birds from nearby trees flew away, startled by the sudden outburst. Killua looked at her like she was crazy.

"You dragged us all the way here... because you had an 'instinct'?" Killua's left eyebrow twitched.

Malli gave out a nervous laugh, hoping that she hadn't made Killua hate her all over again. She's really trying to be more of an asset. But trying to even explain Nen to a non-Nen user when you weren't supposed to was already placing her in a lose-lose situation.

"Let's find out if it's right?" Malli asked, dreading the fact that she might not be.

I really need a Lemon Pop, Malli thought as she fished into her shorts' pocket again. She dragged one out and unwrapped it with shaky hands before shoving it in her mouth and throwing the wrapper away. Kuriya always scolded her whenever she littered, but she was too anxious to really think much on it right now.

Malli took the lead, Killua practically on her heels.

Alright, all you have to do is go toward the Nen signature. Don't think about anything else but that. Come on, you can do it!

And did it she did. With a heavy sigh, Malli stopped once again. She opened her eyes she hadn't realized she'd closed, and looked directly at where the Nen signature was. From what she understood, the person was only about five feet away from her. However, she only saw a tree.

Uh oh, when did trees start producing Nen? That's new!

"So where is she?" Killua asked, his lips already forming a frown.

"She should be here! I followed it to here and everything!" Malli pouted, swiveling her head to see if she was missing anything. But she wasn't. There was not a single person in sight.

"'It'?"

"M-my instinct! It, um, never failed me before!" Malli explained, starting to feel panic rise from within her.

"Hmm, but it doesn't look like she's here," Killua pointed out, making Malli sigh shakily.

"I don't understand," Malli muttered, utterly confused.

Sure, Killua's going to be upset with me. Again. But why can't I find her. The signature hasn't changed; she's right here! The only thing that's right there is a tree! I'm being trolled by a tree of all things! I hate this! I want Daddy to cut all these stupid trees and burn them alive!

"...alli?"

Her head shot toward Killua who looked concerned and apprehensive. Malli also noticed his nails were sharpened, but they laid at his side.

"Is something wrong?" Malli asked innocently, though she truly had no idea what she had done to cause Killua to react that way. Or was there someone nearby that she had failed to sense?

"You had a dark look in your eyes," Killua said as he looked away, shoving his hands deep into his shorts' pockets.

Dark look..? Oh.

"I'm sorry," Malli said with a blush, feeling embarrassed that she had a temper tantrum. Right in front of Killua.

Yeah, that's embarrassing, Malli couldn't help but think.

"So Quino is supposed to be here," Killua said as he surveyed their surroundings.

Just as he was about to give up hope, to shoot Malli a glare for failing him _again_ , he spotted it. It was, for the most part, inconspicuous. Even to a trained eye, it would have been hard to spot. But Killua's eyes locked on to that tree hollow up off the ground and had an idea. He walked over to the tree and assessed how high it was.

Malli tilted her head, wondering what Killua was up to. Then she witnessed as he jumped up onto the tree and disappeared inside a hole she hadn't seen earlier. Wanting to follow suit, Malli leaped onto the tree hollow's base, looking down to see what was in there. But because she was blocking the light, she couldn't see very well. So she finally hopped down and saw what was going on.

Killua faced a tired Gon, who seemed a bit groggy but was fine for the most part. Meanwhile, Quino was handing Gon a water bottle.

"See, my instinct _was_ right!" Malli said excitedly, pointing at the three who looked back at her with different expressions. Quino looked indifferent, and a bit miffed. Killua looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh and Gon had a big smile on his face.

"How could you sic Hisoka on me like that?!" Quino yelled at Malli, anger flashing in her eyes.

Malli flinched, genuinely caught off guard and terrified of Quino's sudden rage. "I, um, uh, that is, uh—"

"What? You won't even give me an apology?!" Quino shouted, stomping over to Malli.

Killua, however, grabbed ahold of Quino's hand and yanked her back away from Malli. "She didn't know that is was you until after."

Malli smiled brightly, feeling extremely happy that Killua had actually just— Well, to be honest, Malli wasn't really sure what he did for her just now. But he did something! That counts for something, right?

"But Malli does have something to say, right?" Killua piped up, giving Malli a cold look.

She froze, the sudden coldness in his eyes frightening her. Malli had a fleeting thought that perhaps Killua was bipolar. But that thought soon went down the drain because there's no way Killua could be bipolar. Right?

"Um, yeah," Malli muttered, nodding her head as if to agree with herself. She turned her attention toward an upset Quino, and said, "I'm really sorry. Killua's right; I didn't know that was you until it was too late. But I'm still responsible for what happened to you. Not only that, but I want to apologize for all the times I've been selfish and done stupid things because I 'felt like it'. I hope you can forgive me. And the same applies to you Gon," Malli finished, trying her hardest not to bust up crying. She always felt embarrassed when she cries.

Quino huffed but then relaxed her tense shoulders. "Well, Gon and I are still alive, so I guess everything turned alright. Just be more careful next time," Quino paused, "and don't try to kill people. Seriously, it's not normal."

Malli simply tilted her head, looking a bit confused. But then she shook her head and nodded soon after.

Quino wasn't too sure what to make of that.

"You don't have to apologize to me, Malli. You didn't do anything bad," Gon said, bringing Malli's attention toward him.

"Well, I think I actually did," Malli said with a nervous laugh.

"But Gon was only punched by Hisoka. And that was after Hisoka had calmed down. Gon got paralyzed by another person. The guy had a blow gun, I think," Quino said, muttering the last bit.

But Malli heard all of it, and she felt guilty. "Yeah, I was actually watching Gon for a while. While he was trying to catch a bird. But the thing is, that guy was also there. He was just observing, but it was obvious that Gon was his target. Instead of taking him out, I did nothing but walk away."

There was no describing how guilty she felt. All the times she could have intervened to save someone, could have made different choices to make things different, and she was too absorbed with her own thoughts to even consider it. She was a horrible person.

"It's okay. Because I learned something," Gon said, bringing Malli out of her thoughts. She looked up at him and, though she tried to hide it, the sadness in her eyes expressed how guilty she truly was. "I shouldn't let my guard down. Just like I'll always go after my target, I might be somebody else's target so I have to make sure to always be aware of everything around me."

Quino smiled. "Yeah, that's pretty wise. Though I wish you didn't have to get paralyzed by a blow gun and almost been killed to learn that," she said exasperatedly. With a shake of her head, her eyes glided to Killua's. "So why did you come looking for me in the first place?"

Killua slid his gaze away from Quino and said, "I didn't want you to die. Gon would be sad if you did."

She snorted, making Killua's eyes go wide and Gon and Malli laugh. "Fine, we'll leave at that. But make sure you lie better next time if you want me to really buy it, okay?"

"Whatever," Killua muttered, a blush coloring his cheeks.

Malli wanted to take a picture. But she realized that she didn't have a camera, or a phone for that matter, and that if the picture were to fall into the wrong hands Killua could get in trouble. So she decided to burn the image into her memory. She hoped it would stay there forever.

"I want to find Leorio, Kurapika, and Primna, though," Gon spoke up.

Quino frowned. "Are you sure you're a hundred percent? I don't want you to dive head-first into danger when you haven't completely recovered."

"I'm sure," Gon replied, stretching his limbs to show just how fine he is.

"Stop being a worrywart," Killua commented, making Quino pout.

"Okay, I worry for Gon's safety. Is it not normal to worry over someone who had been paralyzed by a blow gun, was almost buried alive, and broke out into a fever four times?" Quino said, her voice sounding more and more incredulous with each word.

Killua opened his mouth to say something but then closed it.

"If you want, I could use my instinct to show us the way to Leorio, Kurapika, and Primna," Malli chimed with a smile.

"As much as I wouldn't mind, this is the last day," Quino said apprehensively. "Shouldn't we get to the meeting area and wish them luck? I don't want to sound like a terrible person but..."

"You have a point," Killua muttered.

"But I want to know that they're okay," Gon said. "And I want to help them if they need it."

"They—" Malli stopped and looked down at the back of her right hand. A leech was lying there. She glanced up to see Gon, Killua, and Quino looking at her in confusion.

 _Malli, I want you to know that we're fine. I've been overhearing for some time now. Tell them that you're instinct says all three of them are fine. We are simply going to get Leorio's target's tag and we'll make our way toward the gathering site._

"Uh, they're fine," Malli said, blinking a few times in amazement.

How did I not realize that that was there this whole time? Malli would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed with herself right about now.

"How do you know?" Gon asked.

Quino would've asked, but she was still perplexed by Malli's sudden change in facial expression.

"That would be my instinct! It's never been wrong, and it's telling me that all three of them are a-ok," Malli said with a silly grin, bringing her hand to her forehead to give a salute.

"And what about your friend?" Killua asked, the look on his face expressing that he didn't believe her.

"You mean Kuri? She's fine. I would've felt dread if she was in danger. Or if my dad was in danger," Malli said absentmindedly.

"Your dad?" Gon asked, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Huh? What about him?" Malli asked, wondering why he was asking that out of the blue.

"You mentioned you'd feel something if your dad was in danger," Quino said, noticing that Malli hadn't even heard herself before. Either that or she was trying to play dumb.

"Oh, well, yeah. I would feel dread. But Kuri and Dad are fine! And since my instincts say Leorio, Kurapika, and Primna are fine too, we should go to the gathering site!" Malli said as she jumped in excitement.

Killua simply rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I guess we're going then," Quino commented.

While Gon felt hesitant to abandon his quest to find Leorio, Kurapika, and Primna, he decided to trust in Malli. After all, Malli wouldn't intentionally place them in danger, right?

All four of them climbed out of the tree hollow and preceded to go toward the area that the ship off Zevil Island would appear at.

XXX

"Are you sure it's okay to leave her there?" Leorio asked as he looked back at Primna's unconscious form.

Kuriya had put Primna down against a tree trunk when she had gotten toward the area that she knew Ponzu, applicant #264, was at. Although her Scout Leech had dissipated hours ago, the leech hadn't moved for a while so she assumed that Ponzu was still where she was at. From what she understood, Ponzu should be inside the cave directly in front of her.

"She will be fine," Kuriya replied, her gaze solely focused on the cave in front of them. "Will you go in alone, or would you like help?"

Leorio shook his head. "No, I'll go in alone. If I don't come out in thirty minutes, then go back to the site." Then he entered the cave, leaving Kuriya and Kurapika alone.

Now it was just the two of them. It was awkward. Kurapika simply stared out at the trees, in the opposite direction of Kuriya. And Kuriya was thinking.

Even if Kurapika hunts down the Phantom Troupe, no. _When_ Kurapika hunts down the Phantom Troupe, I'll have to face off against him. But perhaps Primna has a point. Yes, the Kurta's hatred toward the Spiders is understandable. They killed all of Kurapika's family. If someone were to kill every single person I loved—

Kuriya simply couldn't bear the thought of that happening.

"You're strong," Kuriya said just loud enough to reach Kurapika's ears.

He turned his head toward her but he didn't say anything. All he did was stare.

"Did I say something wrong?" Kuriya asked with a lighthearted smirk.

Still, he didn't respond.

The silent treatment, huh? Hmm, is it strange that I only find it cute? Something is absolutely wrong with me, Kuriya thought as she chuckled quietly.

"What's so funny?"

So, now he speaks? I wonder what's going on in his head, Kuriya thought.

"Just the musings of a supposed enemy," Kuriya retorted nonchalantly. She closed her eyes but she couldn't help the amused smile that crept up her lips.

"Supposed enemy? You _are_ an enemy," Kurapika said.

"Hence supposed," she remarked, crossing her arms below her chest.

"You're not making sense," Kurapika analyzed.

"From my perspective, I am," she replied.

"How are you making sense?" he asked, his eyes narrowed with contempt.

"Every lady has her secrets," Kuriya responded smoothly.

Kurapika faced her fully, stalking towards her in frustration. He stopped in front of her, his face only a few inches from hers, and his eyes waning from scarlet to gray. "What is with you?!"

She opened her piercing gray eyes and peered into his stormy gray. "I wonder the same thing sometimes."

"Why are you always so vague?!" His eyes finally lit up in red, his Scarlet Eyes beholding so much contempt that she was unsure how he was restraining himself to not attack her right then and there. Even so, she didn't even flinch from his rage.

In fact, it's— why do I find this thrilling instead?

"I suppose I'll give you one thing," she whispered, her face betraying nothing of her own internal battles deep inside. Of her common sense trying to battle the strange desire to rile him up even more.

"What?" Kurapika asked in a calm but deadly voice.

It sent shivers down her spine.

Yet why do I take amusement in playing with fire anyway?

"Getting a rise out of you seems to be a pleasant pastime for me," Kuriya revealed, giving a condescending smirk.

She wondered how he would react to that. But she soon wished that she hadn't told him. Kuriya watched as his face remained blank for some time, as if trying to process her words. Then his eyebrows furrowed, knitting together in what seemed to be frustration. His eyes were still red and filled with anger but—

He took a step back, no longer so close to her face.

Kuriya felt the air shift and she knew that her fun was over. She was partly disappointed that it ended, and she was partly confused by her own feelings toward the sudden end of their—

What even was that?

"I don't understand you," Kurapika muttered. He gave out a heavy sigh and looked away from her.

"Most don't," she stated before giving a sigh of her own.

Then it was silent. However, the silence wasn't peaceful. Instead, it was heavy with tension. Both were silent, lost in their thoughts.

"Kurapika, Kuriya, don't come in!"

She recognized that as Leorio's voice. Before she could truly process what he had said, Kurapika had ran towards the entrance of the cave. His intention was clear, and Kuriya wasn't about to let him go in on his own.

With one last glance back toward the unconscious Primna, Kuriya took off after Kurapika.

"...do this, Leorio?"

Kuriya finally caught up to Kurapika and she assessed her surroundings.

First, Leorio was had several bite wounds all over. From the way he looked, the bites may have been laced with venom.

Second, Ponzu was in the cave. She was alive and didn't look injured.

Third, there was a man who looked like he was sleeping. Though there was a hint of death in the air, so perhaps the man was actually dead. Kuriya also couldn't feel a Nen signature from him like she would with any live person. Evidently, she was leaning toward believing the man dead.

"What happened," Kuriya demanded as she swept her gaze over to Ponzu.

"He went to tell you two to not come into the cave. But he got too close, and the snakes hidden in the cave's walls bit him. He's most likely dead," she revealed, much to Kuriya's surprise.

"Then he needs an antidote," Kurapika said as he opened Leorio's briefcase.

"Every person who uses chemical weaponry has an antidote to their own poison just in case they accidentally poison themselves. I tried to get the antidote, but the snakes won't let me get close," Ponzu stated. "It's best if we just wait until someone comes to get us."

What if my leeches can do something?

Kuriya sighed, concentrating her Nen inconspicuously. She just hoped nobody would notice.

She summoned three Scout Leeches, then entered Zetsu. They didn't sense any Nen, therefore they immediately went to do as they were instructed to do by their owner: procure the antidote on the deceased man.

Meanwhile, Kurapika searched fervently for something that could at least help Leorio. But he couldn't find anything. He looked up at Kuriya, seeing that she was doing nothing to help the situation.

"I know you don't care about us, but would you do something helpful for once?!" Kurapika yelled, feeling rage bubble up inside of him again. He couldn't understand what it was about her that made him surge up with so much rage as often as he did.

She didn't respond to him, which only managed to anger him further.

One of the Scout Leeches signaled Kuriya that it had found the antidote, the other two leeches hurrying over to the other leech's location.

"Kuriya!" Kurapika said, trying to get her to respond.

"You threaten to take my family away from me. Why should I care about yours, in return?" Kuriya stated coldly. Her gaze landed on Kurapika's irate form, but she felt no sense of fear.

"Yours takes lives. Leorio doesn't kill people or ruin lives for selfish gain," Kurapika said as he gritted his teeth.

Kuriya sighed. "Say I have the antidote. Would you do me a favor in return?"

He narrowed his eyes, then looked down at Leorio's form. Kurapika looked back up at Kuriya and said, "What do you want from me?"

She frowned. "Don't take my family away from me."

Kurapika's eyes softened, registering Kuriya's words. As much as she had tried to hide it, she wasn't able to completely hide the desperation in her voice.

"I—"

"Please."

Kurapika looked down, away from pleading gaze. "They need to be taken down."

The three Scout Leeches snuck the antidote from the deceased man and dragged the antidote to Kuriya's feet.

"I thought as much," Kuriya said with a sigh as she bent down to take the antidote from the ground. She approached Kurapika and Leorio, then extended the cure to Kurapika. "It was worth a shot, I suppose."

Kurapika hesitated but eventually took the antidote and administered it to Leorio.

Meanwhile, Kuriya dissipated her three Scout Leeches. No one noticed, as far as she was concerned.

"I'm assuming this cave is littered with snakes, with the command to not let anyone leave. After all, this man is Bourbon the Snake Charmer. Correct?" Kuriya asked, her gaze landing on Ponzu.

"Yeah, actually," Ponzu replied. She was surprised Kuriya knew all of this. "How did you know my name?"

"Every lady has her secrets," Kuriya said with a smirk. However, that smirk was short-lived, replaced by a small frown as she thought of how to get out.

Kuriya could only come up with two options. One was safer and exhausting, the other was highly dangerous but plausible.

I could summon Scout Leeches to take care of the snakes. There are three problems with that, however. One, the Scout Leeches go after Nen automatically and anything without Nen would take time for them to locate. Two, the leeches would work like regular leeches, therefore they wouldn't have infinite stomachs. Three, the amount of leeches I would have to summon would almost completely exhaust me. It might even render me unconscious.

She pursed her lips, not liking the idea of being in such a vulnerable state.

Then there's trying to get out by brute force...

Kuriya didn't like that idea either. She walked toward the tunnel leading to the cave's exit but was stopped almost immediately by snakes. They appeared from the walls, hissing at her in warning to not take a step further.

"Do we still have some antidote left?" Kuriya called out from behind her.

"We have some," Kurapika replied.

With a sigh, Kuriya grabbed her katana and drew the blade, preparing herself next step. Literally.

As soon as she took another step, the snakes launched at her. Kuriya swung her katana, managing to decapitated several in one swing. However, another wave came and then another and then another. Kuriya took a step back, eyeing the snakes that had retreated when she backed off.

"Well, that was pointless," Kuriya commented as she sheathed her katana. She would clean it later.

"I told you, there's no way out," Ponzu stated despondently.

"There's only one other way I can think of," Kuriya informed, pausing to decipher what to say next. How to use the leeches without making the stream of leeches coming from her body obvious? "But I'll need you two to close your eyes until I'm done. If you don't, then there truly is no way to get out of here."

Wanting to get out of here just as much as the three newcomers, Ponzu closed her eyes.

Kurapika looked like he wanted to say something but he kept his mouth shut and closed his eyes.

Kuriya concentrated, conjuring as many leeches as she could. Streams and streams of leeches crawled out of her arms and legs, their mission to eradicate the snakes the only thing on their mind.

While she had gotten used to the feeling of those leeches crawling out from her skin, the way they looked as the emerged into the world, she was sure many others couldn't stomach the sight.

But she had always let leeches crawl on her as a little girl and she was always so fascinated whenever they bit into her and sucked out her blood. Sometimes a series of leeches would be on her, swarming her. Of course, she had to eventually get the leeches off of her body before she had passed out from blood loss. Leeches, in her world, had a special place in her heart. She loved them as dearly as one could love their favorite stuffed toy as a child.

The leeches crawled into the cracks in the cave, multiple leeches taking on a singular snake one by one. It was an exhausting process, to say the least. Kuriya didn't even need to go into Zetsu; she had practically drained herself of Nen.

Her vision was slowly consumed by black spots, her breathing ragged. But she couldn't breathe as much as she'd want to. Her compression vest wasn't allowing her to do so.

She held on to conscious as the leeches signaled her that they were finally done. Kuriya hadn't even realized that so much time had passed. Or did much time pass at all?

Who knew, Kuriya thought.

The leeches all swarmed toward her. Crawling back under her skin until they were all gone, Kuriya could barely get out, "You can open your eyes now," before she passed out from both exhaustion and lack of oxygen.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So I tried to complete this chapter yesterday. All I have to say is that I think it's funny I still have hope I can complete a chapter within a day. But I almost did. Well... I had to stay up until 5AM for me to get 3K done. And then the last 1k I was like "I may be stubborn as a bull, but even _I_ have my limits." So, I went to sleep and decided to tackle on this chapter as soon as I woke up. Which was like 12:30. Yes, my sleeping schedule is nonexistent.

So anyway, I've made it a goal to pump out the last of the Hunter x Hunter Exam arc and then starting on rewriting this next week. You may think "that's a bit much." But I'm stubborn (a very prominent trait of mine) and motivated enough to tackle this head-on.

Also, **I don't own Hunter x Hunter. Togashi Yoshihiro is an awesome man who had managed to create this wonderful anime/manga that is one of my favorite of all time. BUT I do own Primna, Kuriya, Quino, and Malli. And any other characters I created. Wherever they are.**

So I hope you liked this chapter and are thrilled to know I'm going to put out the next chapter soon! I'm aiming for tomorrow but we'll see. Well, see you all next time! Bye bye.


	43. Tightropes x And x Interviews

Kuriya opened her eyes slowly, noticing how her body felt heavy and her mind groggy. She looked around through her blurry vision.

I'm in a room. It's bright.

She noticed the windows situated in the room was the main source of light, the sunlight coming through them enough to light the room.

Day. It's day-time. How long have I been out?

Kuriya tried to lift herself up. She managed to sit up, but she knew right away that she wouldn't be able to stand. Another look around the room revealed that there were a few people, though she didn't recognize them as allies.

This is bad. I need to get up. If I don't get up, they'll assume I'm weak and defenseless. They'll—

"Calm down," a voice from her right whispered.

Kuriya took deep breaths, calming turned her head to her right, and saw Primna.

"Primna? Where are we?" Kuriya asked, her voice sounding still laced with sleep.

"We're on a ship headed toward the site. For the Fifth Phase," Primna said with a sigh.

"How long have I—"

"Not long. About an hour or two," Primna interrupted, already knowing what Kuriya was about to ask. "Why did you do that?"

Kuriya turned her head away from Primna, her eyes landing on one of the windows in the room. "What did I do?"

"Don't give me that. You know what I'm talking about," Primna said.

Kuriya watched out of the corner of her eye as Primna came close to her ear.

"Why did you use Nen so recklessly like that?"

She closed her eyes, her brain processing what Primna had just said. "I couldn't see another way of getting out of there."

Primna scoffed, retreating from Kuriya.

"You had me really worried, ya know. I could count the amount of times you fainted on one hand, and most of those times were usually because you didn't get enough sleep or enough to eat," Primna stated. "It wasn't exactly news you'd want to hear after fainting yourself."

"Where's Malli?" Kuriya said, her gaze landing on Primna. She felt guilty, but she didn't want to show it.

"She went off with Gon, Killua, and Quino. I think those kiddos went off to go on some adventure," Primna said, giving out a chuckle. She could imagine them.

Gon would say something, Malli would think it ingenious, Killua might shrug and sigh but go along with it, and Quino would try and stop them from getting too wild, Primna thought. It made her smile.

"Children are cute," Primna said absentmindedly.

"Why don't you have one," Kuriya remarked, suddenly feeling irritated.

"W-what? Me, a mom? Hah, that'd be a laugh!"

"So you're not the only one who'd think you'd fail," Kuriya snidely retorted, her lips set in a deep frown.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Primna said as she rolled her eyes.

"A bed would've been much more pleasant," Kuriya grumbled.

"Sheesh. All you teenagers have attitudes," Primna said as she shook her head. Her lips formed a grin and her eyes brightened with amusement.

Kuriya wasn't pleased, to say the least. "Teenagers? You're 18."

"Which means I'm a legal adult. But you're still a kid," Primna pointed out.

Kuriya's eyes narrowed, not appreciating being called a child. "I'm 16. I'm an informant, an information broker, and I'm you're teacher!"

Primna's grin widened as she came close to Kuriya's ear and said, " _Nen_ teacher. You may be my sensei when it comes to Nen, but I'm your senior by age."

She rolled her eyes at Primna's logic. "Like age makes a difference."

"It definitely makes a difference," Primna retorted, sliding away from Kuriya's ear. "Besides," she said a bit louder, "don't you want to check in with Dr. Leorio and get a clean bill?"

Kuriya sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Primna laughed, getting up from her spot on the floor and offering her hand to Kuriya. "No, not really."

With begrudging effort, Kuriya took Primna's hand and allowed Primna to help her up. Once she was standing, Primna let go of Kuriya, watching as Kuriya wobbled just a little.

"Looks like you're not one hundred percent yet," Primna stated.

"I'm fine enough," Kuriya retorted, walking toward the room's exit unsteadily.

Primna gave out a big sigh before following after Kuriya to make sure she didn't fall.

XXX

Quino, Malli, Gon, and Killua were sitting outside, all four enjoying the nice, sunny weather.

They had explored the ship without getting caught (though Gon had almost blown their cover several times), and they had all decided to just relax for the time being. However, not everyone was pleased with this.

Malli had her head in her palm and her legs were situated indian style, though her left leg was bouncing just a bit in impatience.

Gon was sitting down with his eyes closed, his whole expression peaceful. It looked like he was basking in the sun.

Killua was sitting against the ship's walls with his hands in his pockets and he looked straight ahead as if he was lost in thought.

Quino was sitting against the ship's walls too, but with her hands behind her head. Her eyes, however, couldn't help but survey her surroundings. She didn't like the idea of looking completely vulnerable.

They were all more or less sitting in a half circle. And though it was peaceful...

"Gah, I can't take it anymore!" Malli said as she jumped up from her seat on the floor. "I don't know how you guys do it, but I gotta do _something_ or I'll go crazy!"

"Aren't you usually a bit eccentric, though?" Quino asked, her attention no longer on her surroundings but on Malli.

"Well, yeah," Malli said, "but I mean I'll get all jittery and stuff!"

"So what are you going to do?" Killua asked, having been pulled back to reality by Malli's outburst.

"I don't really know. Something!" Malli said, looking around in a hurry to see _anything_ that she could do. She looked up, then her face lit up with realization only to be replaced a second later with mischievousness. "I've got the perfect plan!" Malli said as she giggled in excitement.

"I hope you aren't going to get yourself killed," Quino warned, furrowing her eyebrows.

"As Daddy likes to say, 'the most dangerous things are the most fun!'" Malli said with a grin before she ran off.

"Do you think someone should go after her?" Quino asked, feeling worry bubble up inside of her.

With a sigh, Killua got up and said, "I'll make sure she doesn't die if you want to hang around Gon so much."

Quino's worry boiled into anger at Killua's words. "What do you mean if I want to hang around Gon so much? Do you think I'd go and let someone die just because I want to hang out with someone else? Is that what _you_ do?"

Killua narrowed his eyes. "I don't do that!"

"Then how come time and time again you seem to let all the people around you die? The only person you seem to care about is Gon!"

"Oh, really? I went after you didn't I? When Malli told me Hisoka was after you, I told her to lead me to you. Did you think I was doing that for Gon?"

"Probably! I'm not stupid Killua! By making sure I'm okay, Gon would be happy too," Quino pointed out, making Killua growl out in frustration.

"I swear, you are the most—"

"Look at me!" a voice called from up above them.

Both of them momentarily stopped their fight to look up and found Malli looking down on them from the edge of the ship's roof.

"Hahaha! This is fun!"

"Malli, get down from there. That's... too high," Quino said as she look on Malli in worry. Her anger was long gone.

"Aw, why? I'm having so much fun!" Malli said as her eyes strayed from the Killua and Quino to a rope that was tightly strung and tied to the crow's nest. Upon seeing this filled her with excitement. Yes, she was _definitely_ enjoying herself.

Killua looked at where her eyes were looking and knew her attention was on a rope that—

"Malli, don't do it," Killua warned, knowing Malli well enough that she'd definitely want to pull a stunt like that.

"Hmm," was all Malli said as she came closer to the rope. She put a foot down on it, putting her weight on it to see how sturdy and strong it is. Much to her joy, the rope could definitely support her weight.

"Malli, get down from there!" Quino yelled, her worry reaching new heights as panic slowly started taking over.

"Stop being such party poopers! You're just scared 'cause you've never tried it," Malli said. She took another two steps, and she was fully on the rope.

"Oh no, she's going to get herself killed!" Quino said as she started to full-on panic. "We gotta get her down from there."

"I might be talented, but I don't think I'm skilled enough to go on a tight rope like that," Killua remarked.

"This isn't the time for jokes!" Quino snapped at Killua. "What is with you people and humor when someone is obviously in trouble!"

"Look, all I can do is catch her when she falls, which I'm waiting for," Killua said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Are you sure you'll be able to catch her?" Quino asked, wanting to calm herself down but can't. She'll only be able to if she was reassured that her friend would be alright.

"Of course I can," Killua said with an annoyed expression.

Meanwhile, Malli was expertly walking on the tight rope. She was laughing, her face screwed up in joy. She looked like she was having the time of her life. But Malli was getting bored.

I wonder if I can do that, Malli thought fleetingly.

She hopped a little, landing gracefully back on the tight rope. Still not knowing if it was safe, she jumped, practically slamming back down onto the rope. It miraculously didn't show any signs of weakness.

I can do that!

With a grin lighting up her face, Malli jumped, landing on the tight rope with one foot, her other foot suspended above the rope and upper body splayed out. Then she jumped again, landing on her hands this time, and used her abdominal strength to keep balance. Then she started to walk back and forth. Once she was bored with that, she swung herself forward and up, managing to land back on the rope with her feet.

Both Quino and Killua watched with awe and wonder. They didn't think Malli was so good on a tight rope. But here she was, putting on a spectacle the likes which feels like a sin for not being commissioned at all for the show. It was truly breathtaking.

When Malli was finally done with her fun, having gotten bored of the tight rope, she allowed herself to swing upside down, her ankles holding onto the rope for dear life. She looked down at Quino and Killua, who she had noticed had been watching her the entire time, and saw that they weren't frightened at all with her current position. They looked on as an audience would back when she was in Cirque de Shyr. But she was done and had the perfect idea of how to finish the show off. It just so happens that Malli is just as sharp as her father.

"Quino, Killua," Malli called out. Their eyes lit up, as if they were in a trance. Malli took that as her queue. "Catch me!" Then her ankles let go of the rope.

They both raced over to her, though Killua proved to be faster.

He caught her just in time, though he was winded by the panic that had overtaken if. Killua looked down at her, and saw that she was grinning like a mad man.

"I knew I could count on you," Malli said as she gave Killua a peck on the cheek.

Killua immediately dropped her.

"Ow!" she said, landing on her butt. She hoped she wouldn't get a bruise.

"D-Don't do stuff like that!" Killua said as he wiped his left cheek, the spot she had pecked him. He couldn't stop the blush that sprung to life on his face as it colored his cheeks red and he couldn't stop his heart from racing from the feelings stirring inside him.

"Malli! That's totally inappropriate," Quino admonished.

In return, Malli pouted. "You're just jealous!"

"Jealous? Why would I like _Killua_ of all people?" Quino asked, as if the mere thought of it was disgusting.

"Yeah, that's just gross," Killua said as he shivered at the thought.

"Mmm, looks like I don't have to worry about any competition," Malli said with a grin, which only caused Killua to turn more red.

"Hey guys, why is Killua red like a tomato?" Gon asked.

All three of them were startled by the fact Gon was now up and approaching them.

Was he actually asleep the whole time? Quino thought.

"N-Nothing. I just—"

"I gave Killua a kiss on the cheek as thanks for catching me when I went up on that rope above us and tightroped," Malli said and giggled at Killua's flustered state.

"Wow, you tightroped? That sounds like fun!" Gon said, having overlooked the entirety of the first part of Malli's monologue.

"Yeah, yeah, it was _so_ much fun!" Malli said as she became excited once again.

"Don't you be getting more crazy ideas again," Quino warned, inviting herself into the conversation.

Killua was left a blushing mess, though he eventually calmed down.

XXX

"You're all good," Leorio said as he finished inspecting Kuriya.

"Of course I am," Kuriya scoffed.

"You weren't breathing normally and fainted. Whatever you did was obviously dangerous," Kurapika analyzed, not liking the way she was treating Leorio.

"And something you don't need to think about. Unless you're taking notes on taking me down in the future," Kuriya remarked scathingly.

Primna sighed. "Okay, look Goldilocks."

Kurapika glared at Primna.

"If Kuriya is being _this_ evasive, there's no way she's going to tell you _anything_. So just drop the subject," Primna informed.

"I wasn't aware you liked telling secrets," Kuriya said menacingly.

"Yeah, well, these guys hardly know you. It's not much of a secret once they put two and two together, which doesn't look like that's happening. You don't make it an easier for people to understand you either," Primna said, giving out another sigh.

"I don't take joy in socializing," Kuriya said as she looked away.

"Yeah, you'd rather work and break into people's homes to raid their chocolate stash while they're asleep," Primna remarked with a devious grin.

Kuriya's eyes widened, completely caught off guard with what Primna had said. Leorio and Kurapika were both surprised at her remark. Then they looked to Kuriya to see if it was true.

"Are you certain you don't like telling secrets," Kuriya said with a scowl as she gripped her katana.

Primna chuckled, putting her hands on her small hips. "Come on, you've got a sweet tooth. Nothing to be embarrassed about, Kuriya."

"I'll have you know that my temptation for sweets is a sensitive topic," Kuriya said as she gave Primna a death glare.

"Okay, okay. But if your future boyfriend wants to know what to get you for your birthday, I'm gonna push for chocolate or super sweet candy," Primna said as she put up her hands in surrender. "I think it makes you seem more normal."

"It's... it's a weakness of mine that I don't want other people to know," Kuriya said as she let go of her tight grip on her katana and folded her arms. Her eyes looked away out of embarrassment, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

In that moment, two things happened.

Kurapika realized, for the first time, that Kuriya wasn't as bad as he'd come to think she is. Because the minute she revealed to want to be part of the Phantom Troupe, was the minute he had decided she was the enemy and an awful person. But now... she looked like a regular teenager, minus the abundance of black she wore. And she had somehow gotten the antidote for Leorio and gotten rid of the snakes in the cave. She had fainted from the effort.

Leorio thought it was cute. And it was the first time he'd noticed just how pretty she actually was. Sure, when she's boring holes into you or scowling, or even smirking deviously, she's scary. But when she's doing none of those things, when she looks like a normal teenager, he can't help but see that she's really pretty.

After these two things happened, one more thing afterwards happened.

Kuriya looked at both of their facial expression's, and glared icily at Leorio. "Like what you see?"

This snapped both of them out of their reverie and made both of them look away.

"Seriously? Boys," Primna said as she rolled her eyes.

"My father always told me that I got the best from both of my parents," Kuriya said as she sighed. "Here I thought I had covered all my grounds."

"Hah, their teenagers. What do you expect?" Primna said. "I've got to talk to you, so this is a good time as any to hit the road."

"Well, I suppose I'll see you sometime later," Kuriya said as she followed Primna out of the room they were in.

They walked for a bit longer before stopping in the hallway. "They don't know."

Kuriya raised an eyebrow at Primna's sudden words. "What don't they know?"

"You wear a compression vest. To bind your chest. I stopped Kurapika from inspecting when he dragged you and Leorio out of the cave, and I stopped Leorio from inspecting when he was well enough to check on you when we got on the ship," Primna revealed, running her hand through her short blond locks.

"Good. What did you say?"

"I told them to trust me that I knew you would be fine. That you just needed rest," Primna said with a sigh. "It was harder to convince Kurapika than Leorio but I managed."

"Truly? I had thought Leorio would've been harder to convince," Kuriya said, surprised that Kurapika had pushed harder. Kurapika was a mystery to Kuriya.

It's almost as if his mind and his heart are at war. On one hand, he says he doesn't care and will annihilate me and my family. The next he expresses interest in things about me that don't seem to align with his said plans and expresses worry for me. Does he even realize how much he's contradicting himself?

"You two have the weirdest relationship I've ever seen. I mean, it almost sounds like you're frenemies or something. Hell, it doesn't even make sense," Primna said as she shook her head and smirked. "I think you two don't even know what's happening."

"I can't say for the Kurta, but unfortunately, I can't make sense of what's happening between us either," Kuriya said with a frown.

"How about—"

"#158. Please come to reception room one."

"Well, I suppose I'll be going now," Kuriya said as she turned around.

"Wait," Primna said, grabbing ahold of Kuriya's shoulder. "You know where that is?"

Kuriya shrugged. "I'll just survey the area and eventually find it, or ask the staff here where it is if I have the chance."

"Oh," was all Primna said as she watched Kuriya go.

XXX

Eventually Kuriya found reception room one. She entered and found Chairman Netero sitting on one side of a coffee table. On the other side of the coffee table was a cushion.

"Come take a seat," the chairman said as he pointed his pen at the cushion on the other side of the coffee table.

She did as she was told, her attention focused on the chairman.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

Chairman Netero ignored her questions, doodling on the notepad in front of him. Then he looked up at Kuriya with a knowing look and said, "Seems like a little spider decided to come and play. Has the Hunter Exam been fun?"

Kuriya narrowed her eyes at the chairman, but she responded, "It hasn't been too challenging. Now what is it you want?"

The chairman stroked his beard and said innocently, "I just wanted to have a nice chat."

She scoffed. "You wish to interrogate me under the guise of an interview, is that it?"

"No, no, this is for the last phase of the Hunter Exam. I want to get input on everybody's experiences, and to ask a few questions."

Kuriya decided to just play along. "Fine. What is it you'd like to know?"

"Hmm, why did the little spider decide to come out and play?" Chairman Netero asked, as his gaze went down to the notepad.

"Ultimately, to prove my father how capable I am. Though he's already saved me a spot in the Phantom Troupe," Kuriya said with a small proud smile.

"Ho-ho, I see. I'm sure there's more to that story," Chairman Netero said, looking inconspicuous as he scribbled down something in his notepad.

Kuriya wasn't sure if she wanted to reveal anything more. "Profile the competition. There seems to be a lot of potential here," Kuriya said, giving out a half-truth.

"Good, good. It's nice to see such friendly competition. Which applicant are you watching out for?"

"Hmm," Kuriya paused, then said, "#44 and #301. I'm... you could say I'm wary of them. #404 for different reasons which I won't reveal." Kuriya was on edge by the chairman's easygoing attitude. There was something about it that didn't sit right with her.

"The little spider studying the last Kurta? Expected," Chairman Netero muttered the last bit, scribbling things down on the notepad.

Kuriya simply frowned and glared daggers at the chairman. "Is that all?"

"No, one more question."

"I hope you aren't simply wasting my time," Kuriya said, not bothering to hide her growing irritation.

"Which applicant do you want to avoid fighting," the chairman asked, ignoring Kuriya's previous comment.

"#261," was all Kuriya said.

"Good, good. You're dismissed," Chairman Netero said.

Kuriya got up and exited the room as quickly as possible.

XXX

Not long after, it Quino's turn to come to reception room one.

Why are they asking everyone to come here? Is something wrong?

When she entered the room, she saw the chairman sitting on the floor with a coffee table in front of him and a cushion on the other side. Quino took a seat, then turned her attention toward the chairman.

"So, um, what's this all about?" Quino asked nervously.

"I'll just be asking a few questions," Chairman Netero said as he continued to scribble on the notepad in his hand.

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

The chairman looked up from his notepad and opened his mouth to say something, however, he closed his mouth and stared at Quino instead.

Quino gave a confused look but didn't say a word. She looked behind her, thinking that he was looking at something behind her, But she couldn't see anything that could distract him.

"Is there something on my face?" she asked.

He blinked, then looked back down to his notepad. "Why do you want to become a Hunter?"

For some reason, Quino felt a shift in the air. As if the atmosphere in the room had become heavy.

"Well, I was thinking of becoming a Hunter in the hopes that I can find my adoptive mother. She, um, can get lost easily," Quino said as calmly as possible.

Chairman Netero glanced up from the notepad, then back down at the notepad. Quino was starting to wonder if there really was something on her face. "Which of the other twelve applicants are you keeping an eye on?"

Quino frowned. "Keeping an eye on? Do you mean which applicants I see potential in?"

"Yes," was all the chairman said.

"Oh, um, Gon. I mean, #405," Quino said, trying to make herself look comfortable. Really, though, this atmosphere was making her feel the complete opposite.

"Now, one last question. Which of the other twelve applicants would you least like to fight?"

Quino said, "Well, I actually don't want to fight a lot of them. I don't want to fight #405, #99, #404, #403, #400, #44, #261, and #158. Sorry if that throws things off."

"Not at all. Well, that'll be all. You're excused," Chairman Netero said.

Quino got up, feeling the chairman staring at her as she departed.

XXX

Next was Malli.

"Hello! I'm here!" Malli said as she greeted the man she saw sitting on one side of the coffee table. "Hey wait, don't I know you?"

"Perhaps. Come, take a seat."

She did as she was told and sat down on the cushion. "So what do you need?"

"Oh, just a few questions that I would like you to answer," the chairman said.

"I hope this isn't a quiz."

"Nope! So, why do you want to become a Hunter?"

"Huh? Oh, that. I actually entered the Hunter Exam by accident. But it's been fun!"

Chairman Netero raised an eyebrow, amusement flashing in his eyes. "I see. Who out of the twelve other applicants are you watching?"

"Hmm, mostly #99. But I do watch #44," Malli revealed with a big smile.

"Good, good. Which of the twelve applicants don't you want to fight?" the chairman asked, eyeing her inquisitively.

"Well, I don't want to fight #99. And I don't like to fight weak opponents. But other than that, I don't really care," Malli said enthusiastically.

"Well done, you're dismissed," the chairman said.

"'Kay!" Malli yelled as she got up and bolted out of the room with a speed that both impressed and amused Chairman Netero.

XXX

"Alright, what is it?" Primna said as she kicked the door open. Of course, she was careful not to kick it off its hinges.

"Quite an entrance," Chairman Netero commented as she watched Primna take a seat on the unoccupied cushion.

"I'm here. What did ya want?" Primna asked with barely restrained irritation.

"So why did you want to become a Hunter?" Chairman Netero asked as he looked down at his notepad.

"To piss my father off," Primna said bluntly.

The chairman laughed, stroking his beard in amusement. "That sounds very like you, Primrose."

Primna shrugged her shoulders. "You remembered the nickname you gave me back then?"

"Of course," Chairman Netero said. "Well, which of the twelve applicants do you have your eye on?"

"Other than the children, #44. I need to keep tabs on people like him."

"The children?" the chairman asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, #405, #99, #406, and #261," Primna said nonchalantly. Though she did sound like she was in a hurry.

"Why are you watching them, exactly?"

"Making sure they don't get a booboo," Primna snickered, but he can tell that she was serious. Primna noticed his suspicion and knew what he wanted to know. "I took up babysitting when I went back."

"Soft spot for children, then. Which of the twelve applicants do you not want to fight?"

"Well, of course, #405, #99, #406, and #261. And I wouldn't be happy facing off against #403. And I _would_ like to avoid a fight with #404 and #158, but I'll fight them if I need to," Primna said with a shrug.

"Good, good. I've seen you've gained some good friends," Chairman Netero commented.

Primna scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, I've got some friends. Are ya happy?"

"Perhaps," was all he said.

"Great. I'm gonna leave now, so bye."

With that, Primna left.

XXX

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I've drawn up the bracket," Netero said. The sound of a door signaled Kuriya that he closed the news from awaiting ears.

Of course I doubt they expected someone to have Nen like I do, Kuriya thought.

"Huh?" Menchi said, voicing probably everyone's confusion.

"What is this?" Satotz asked.

"Ch-Chairman?" Buhara asked.

"What?" All the examiners asked in unison.

Kuriya huffed, knowing she wouldn't be able to see what was happening. She had specifically set up the leech to be able to eavesdrop on them, not to see what was going on inside the room.

"Are you serious about this?" Buhara asked, clearly sounding shocked.

The Chairman only laughed, probably pleased with his examiners surprise and shock. "Dead serious."

"He certainly has a serious expression," Satotz commented.

"Th-that's a serious expression?" Menchi asked. She sounded like she didn't believe he had a serious expression.

"Winning will make them Hunters," the Chairman stated.

Without any of the examiners knowing, Kuriya heard the entire conversation. However, Kuriya failed to realize that the Chairman spotted the leech on the floor in one of the corners of the room the minute he walked in.

* * *

Hey, everybody!

So I know I'm kind of doing all of this last minute. But I have Sunday to finish _all_ of this (which might sound impossible). Don't worry, I will complete it then, no problem.

And this chapter ended up being longer than I thought it would've been. Heheh, it's close to 5K (with this A/N sending it over 5K). I kind of rushed the ending (but I'm going to rewrite this so it isn't too much of a big deal).

Anyway, **I don't own Hunter x Hunter**. Yada, yada, kind of in a hurry.

Hope you liked the chapter and are excited for more on Sunday! Bye Bye!


	44. Inverse x Tournament x Starts

Quino looked at her competition, feeling a bit scared. The crowd was restless as they waited for Chairman Netero and the rest of the examiners to appear. And the restlessness had her on edge.

I never thought about the other people around us much, except Hisoka. All of them didn't bother me during the entire Hunter Exam, so I guess I kind of forgot they were there. And with Primna, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, Leorio, Malli, and Kuriya around, I never felt in danger.

She glanced at Primna, who was tapping her foot on the tiled floor, and saw that she didn't seem too concerned about the rest of the crowd in the room.

Or was she masking something? Putting on a facade to show everyone she wasn't concerned or affected?

Quino shook her head at the thought. She should know better than to assume Primna was affected the same way as she herself was.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen," a voice called out.

Chairman Netero approached the crowd with the examiners, a few men in black that looked like bodyguards flanking all of them.

Quino wondered if there was any need for those men. She was certain that the chairman and the examiners were capable of defending themselves from anybody here. At least she'd hope.

"Did you get plenty of rest?" the chairman asked as he surveyed the crowd. Without even bothering to wait for a response, though Quino was certain no one would respond, he continued on. "This hotel is owned by the Hunter Exam Selection Committee. The place is all yours until the battle have concluded."

As if on queue, one of the men in black carted in a mysterious item covered in cloth, though the shape looked exactly like a display board.

"For the Final Phase, we will be holding a one-on-one tournament," Chairman Netero stated as he grabbed the cloth covering the mysterious item and pulled it off. The cloth revealed a basic, blank chart.

A tournament? Doesn't that mean only one person becomes a Hunter?

"One win is all you need to pass," the chairman said.

"One win?" Gon and Quino asked simultaneously.

"The winners are removed from competition, while the losers continue up the bracket," the chairman explained in further detail. "In other words, the person who finishes at the top will not pass. Does everyone understand now?"

So it's like an inverse tournament. One person will fail, while the rest pass and become Hunters.

"...the bracket."

Quino looked where the chairman had pointed to, noticing that there was a bracket now.

Where did that come from? Quino thought. But she shook her head soon after. No, I need to pay attention.

There were two branches leading to the top. On the very bottom left was #405, Gon, and #294, Hanzo, the ninja. Whoever lost that match would then fight #406, Quino. Then whoever lost that match would have to fight #53, Pokkle. After that whoever lost would have to go against #261 Malli. Then after that match the loser would have to fight #99, Killua. And after that, whoever lost would be pitted against #301, Gittarackur.

On the other side of the bracket, the very bottom right was #158, Kuriya, and #404, Kurapika. Whoever lost that match would then fight #44, Hisoka. Then the loser of that match would fight against #191, Bodoro, the martial artist. After that match the loser would be pitted against #403, Leorio. Then it will be #200, Primna, who will fight against the loser of the previous match.

Then, finally, it will be the loser of the left branch against the loser of the right branch.

Quino couldn't help but think the bracket was a bit imbalanced. She wasn't the only one thinking that, right?

"All it takes is one win, then you pass," Chairman Netero reiterated. "The battle rules are quite simple. Weapons are allowed. No cheating. If your opponent admits defeat, you win. However! If you kill your opponent, you will be immediately disqualified. All remaining applicants will pass, and the exam will end. Are we clear?"

Without waiting for a response, the group was led to a room, the place where the tournaments will be held.

Quino felt very uncertain about all this. She knew she was going to have a hard time no matter who she was going to face off against. Gon or Hanzo were both strong and determined, at least that's what Quino surmised. But Hanzo would be tough because he would undoubtedly be more experienced and better at fighting than her, while Gon was her friend and facing off against her friend didn't sit right with her.

"The first match is Gon versus Hanzo. Please step forward," the designated referee called.

Hanzo and Gon did as they were told.

Quino was already feeling sick. She just had a really bad feeling about this match.

"I will serve as the referee. My name is Masta. Best of luck."

"Hey, good to see you again," Hanzo said, bringing the referee's attention to him, "You were tailing me during the Fourth Phase."

"You noticed?" the referee asked.

So it's true? Did everyone have someone tailing them?

"Naturally… I'm assuming that each applicant was assigned an examiner for the Fourth Phase. Well, I'm sure everyone noticed."

I had no idea… Wait! The men in black are examiners, too?

"You have my thanks. My rank was higher because your reports on me were accurate. Though the outcome was never in doubt!"

"Y-yeah," was all the referee said.

"Moving on, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"We only win if our opponent surrenders, correct? It doesn't count if we knock them unconscious. No TKOs allowed, either." Hanzo asked.

Quino felt a shiver go down her spine. Why would he want to know that? No, why would he _need_ to know that?

"Yes, that is correct," the referee replied.

Hanzo looked intensely into Gon's eyes and Gon reciprocated that intensity.

They both looked so determined, Quino couldn't help notice. They both strive to become a Hunter, and I doubt neither of them will back down easily. Unlike me, who doesn't even really care about becoming a Hunter.

"Begin!" the referee called, signaling the start of the fight.

Quino watched as Gon leaped with tremendous speed past Hanzo. But… Hanzo quickly caught up with Gon.

"You must be confident in your legs. You have my respect," Hanzo said before he delivered a gruesome blow to the back of Gon's neck.

Quino gasped, knowing that probably would've knocked her out. No, never mind that. The amount of pain Gon would have to be in now...

"You did well for a kid. Well, this would already be over if it were a normal fight…"

Quino gritted her teeth as she felt tears pooling in her eyes. At that moment, Quino hated Hanzo. She hated him and his arrogant attitude.

"Here, wake up," Hanzo said, pushing Gon's back against his knee. Gon grunted, and Quino hated the fact that she couldn't do anything to help him.

Unless I disqualify myself. I don't really care if I become a Hunter. I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. All I had to do was withdraw, but I decided against it. But would Gon be in this predicament even if I weren't here? Would my disqualification then matter?

Quino was too upset and panicked to think straight.

"You must feel terrible. I hit you hard enough to make your brain bounce around. Do you understand? You have no chance against me. Might as well give up now…" Hanzo said as he looked down on Gon's prone form.

Quino had to look away.

I can't watch this. There's no way I can watch this fight. This is cruel, horrible, I hate this.

She, upon habit, coped in the only way she knew how: run to to safety.

Quino ran over to Primna, the force almost knocking Primna herself down, and dug into her hip. Right at that moment, she didn't care how pathetic or silly she looked. All that mattered was blocking the violence out.

XXX

Primna tensed, a look of pure surprise on her face. She looked down and spotted white hair. For a second, she thought it was Killua, and she was thinking of bashing in his head because he really had no place being there, but then she realized that it wasn't him. Killua didn't have dark skin or curly hair.

Quino.

A sigh escaped Primna's lips as she placed a hand on Quino's quivering form, her hand rubbing the child's back in an attempt to ease her. Primna understood how Quino felt. She wanted to go and handle that arrogant ninja herself, but that would get her disqualified. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't afford to be disqualified.

"...surrender now, you'll still be in decent shape for your next fight."

She felt anger boil inside of her, and the temptation of that cold but sweet exhilaration that coaxed her to do what felt natural to her sprung to life. It whispered to kill him. But she'd restrain herself. She has to.

"There's no reason to be stubborn," Hanzo admonished.

Primna curled the hand that wasn't on Quino into a fist, digging her fingers into her hands.

"Never gonna happen!" Gon shouted out.

I don't know whether to praise his perseverance or call him an idiot, Primna thought as she glanced between Gon and Hanzo.

"Surrender!"

She watched as Gon tried to pick himself up from the ground. He managed to get up, only for Hanzo to knock him back down with an uppercut to his stomach.

"Gon! Don't be silly! You'll still have another chance! You should…" Leorio called out, but was interrupted by Kurapika.

"Leorio! If you were in Gon's position, would you surrender?" Kurapika asked, trying to reason with Leorio.

"Hell, no!"

Primna couldn't help the little light-hearted chuckle that escaped her chest. She was struggling to control herself, and it looked like she wasn't the only one.

"That guy thinks he's hot stuff…" Leorio muttered through gritted teeth.

"Gon feels the same way!" Kurapika scolded.

"I know! I know that…"

Primna could feel her bloodlust clawing its way from deep within her. She couldn't let it take over.

I need to ignore what's happening around me. Just for a little bit. I just need to pretend it doesn't exist. Hide. I need to hide.

She clutched Quino closer to her side as Primna allowed herself to zone out.

Though, after an indeterminate amount if time, something brought Primna back to reality. As strange as it sounded, it was the silence that had alarmed her. Complete and utter silence, as if the room was waiting in bated breath. She looked upon Hanzo and Gon's fight, seeing what was happening.

"I don't want my legs cut off, but I don't want to surrender. So let's find a different way to fight!"

That alone made Primna give out a devilish grin. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she had noticed the atmosphere was a bit lighter than earlier. Primna rubbed Quino's head and looked down at her, noticing that Quino was watching the whole spectacle with astonishment.

"Hey… Do you understand your own situation?!" Hanzo yelled, his eyes expressing how ridoculous he thought of the situation.

"Heh, kid's got guts," Primna said. She looked at Leorio and Kurapika and saw that they were also just as astonished.

That's when the entirety of their audience tried to suppress their laughs.

"You don't get to make demands! Are you trying to insult me?! I'm seriously gonna cut off your legs!" said a very angry Hanzo.

"But I still will not surrender. Besides, if you do that, I'll bleed to death. He'll be disqualified if that happens, right?"

"Oh, yes," the referee said, having been distracted by Gon's ridiculous demands.

"Hah, this kid is amazing," Primna said to Kurapika and Leorio.

"See? Neither of us wants that to happen. So let's think of a better way."

Primna could tell Hanzo was pissed.

"I think he's okay now. Gon's taken control," Kurapika said.

"He's so self-centered…" Leorio muttered, still quite astonished.

"Self-centered? Nah, he's a riot!" Primna said, a snicker rolling out of her lips.

"But he's succeeded in convincing Hanzo and the rest of us. Honestly…" Kurapika said, breathing out the last bit.

That's when Primna witnessed Hanzo stop his sword at Gon's head, a little blood trickling down Gon's forehead. The scene had instantly destroyed the unexpected light atmosphere.

"You really don't get it… If you die, you'll never get another chance. If I kill you here, I need only try again next year. We are not on equal footing!"

Even so, Gon stared right into Hanzo's eyes. Only sheer stubbornness shone in his eyes.

Primna noticed Hanzo was losing his cool. "Why won't you concede? It's easy to do. You can try again next year. You value your pride more than your own life?! You're really willing to die for you pride?!"

After a few seconds passed, Gon decide to respond. "I'm going to find my dad."

"Your dad?"

"My dad is a Hunter. So I'm going to become a Hunter and find him! I believe that I'll find him one day… But I have a feeling that if I give up now, I'll never find him! So I won't surrender."

Primna felt the small smile on her face, the warmth that blossomed in her chest.

I really do have a soft spot for children, Primna thought.

"If you don't yield, you'll die…"

A minute passed, and Hanzo withdrew his weapon from Gon's forehead. "I give up. You win."

Primna looked on with wide eyes.

"I can't kill you. But I can't think of a way to make you surrender. I'll take this loss and take my chances in the next battle!"

Primna felt Quino quiver. She felt Quino's hands dig into her hip like a terrified child would.

"I can't accept that. That's not fair!"

What? Primna thought with incredulity.

"We both have to think of a way to settle this fight!" Gon said, causing everyone in the room to feel exasperated.

"Heh, I knew you would say that," Hanzo said coolly, then his face changed to one of incredulity, "You fool! There's no point, because you'll never surrender!"

"But I don't want to win like this!"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"We can work together to figure it out!"

Primna shook her head. She would feel like scolding Gon, but right now she worried over Quino. For some reason, Quino had yet to stop shaking.

Is she truly that horrified?

"...Let's move onto the next match."

"Understood," the referee said, replying to Hanzo's command.

"But I want to tell the executive committee something first. When he wakes up, he'll probably refuse his passing judgment. Because he's a stubborn boy as we've seen. Only one person will fail this round, right? If Gon fails, wouldn't that make the rest of our fights meaningless?"

Primna watched as a few men in black checked on the now unconscious Gon and carried him away to a room.

You did well, Gon, Primna thought with a proud smile. A smile similar to that of a proud parent.

XXX

The fight was over, and even though Killua was questioning Hanzo on why he gave up his fight with Gon, Kuriya could care less. After all, it was her turn now. She wasn't too thrilled about the match up.

It's partially my fault, Kuriya thought as she stepped forward toward the middle of the room. At the time, I hadn't thought of the possibility of the chairman making me fight Kurapika. But now...

Her eyes gazed into Kurapika's, his facial features betraying none of his thoughts.

Perhaps he wasn't even bothered, Kuriya thought.

"Begin!" the referee called, signaling that the fight has started.

"Well, this is a predicament," Kuriya remarked, making Kurapika frown.

"Stop with the mind games," Kurapika simply stated, though it sounded much like a demand.

It probably was, Kuriya thought as she smirked.

"Mind games? I wouldn't dream it. I just couldn't help but notice that this fight might turn deadly."

Kurapika didn't reply. All he did was stare.

"So what will it be? Weapons? No weapons? Whatever suits your fancy," Kuriya retorted with a small smile.

Kurapika said nothing, but he did take out his bokken.

"Weapons it is," Kuriya said tiredly as she grabbed her katana and unsheathed her blade. She looked into his eyes one more time before saying, "I will give you this opportunity to surrender now before things get dangerous. Because unlike this time, we'll have to fight until one of us gives up. And then whoever loses will have to fight Hisoka, of all people."

He said nothing in return.

She gave out a sigh upon hearing no answer. "Fine. I guess we'll start now. Ladies first, Kurapika." With that she charged, her katana ready to do as she wills it.

Kurapika blocked her katana with his bokken, but did nothing else. Then she took a step back and analyzed the situation.

She knew this was supposed to be a fight. She also knew that one of them was supposed to give up eventually. But Kuriya had a plan.

Kuriya closed the distance between them, almost managing to elbow Kurapika's shoulder. But Kuriya gracefully recovered by switching her stance and swinging her katana at Kurapika all in one motion. Surprisingly, the katana's blade barely nicked him. Then she put space between them.

"Hmm, you're faster than I had predicted," Kuriya commented as Kurapika breathed heavily.

She smirked, knowing that her plan would be a success. Kuriya just didn't want to hurt Kurapika too much.

XXX

Primna watched as Kuriya charged at Kurapika, who still looked a little out of breath. She feinted a punch to his chest, which Kurapika fell for, and soon Kurapika was on the floor due to his feet being swept from under him. Then Kuriya backed away.

She's playing with him, Primna thought as she watched Kuriya charge at Kurapika again once he had gotten back onto his feet.

Primna couldn't understand what her motive was.

Was she trying to anger him? Make him go ballistic?

She watched as Kuriya had hit him in the rib with the blunt edge of her katana, making Kurapika stagger.

All of her moves are slower than they usually are. What is she doing?

XXX

A few more minutes of Kuriya playing with Kurapika resulted in a very angry and tired Kurta.

"Stop playing with me!" Kurapika yelled. He charged at Kuriya as she backed away from him. However, Kuriya wasn't surprised at all. In fact, she looked like she had anticipated it.

In the blink of an eye, she parried Kurapika's weapons, punched him in the gut and kneed him in the stomach. Then she kicked him away from her, allowing him to crumble to the ground from the sudden onslaught.

She approached him, then whispered, "If you can't keep up with me, then you won't be able to even survive against the Troupe. Train, get stronger. The Spiders will gather in Yorknew City on August 31st. Don't get yourself killed."

Kuriya straightened up and sheathed her katana. "I surrender."

XXX

Primna gasped, wondering what was going through Kuriya's head.

Leorio, Killua, Kurapika, Malli, and Quino were just as surprised.

"Why?" Kurapika asked, glaring at Kuriya. Though he couldn't have been too angry since his Scarlet Eyes weren't active.

"You'll see," was all Kuriya said as she went back to the sidelines.

While incredibly tired and limbs protesting, Kurapika managed to get to the sidelines before collapsing onto the ground next to Leorio. He was amazed on how exhausted he was. All the while, he noticed Kuriya hadn't even broken a sweat.

The fight had lasted ten minutes, though that was only because Kuriya had simply played with the Kurta. Her next fight, however, she would not hold back.

XXX

"The third match is Hanzo versus Quino."

Primna felt her heart skip a beat.

What? Quino? Against Hanzo? No! That–

"Quino. You can just admit defeat. You don't have to fight him," Primna said, casting her gaze to the top of Quino's head.

Quino nodded, then pulled herself away from the comfort of Primna's hip. She walked toward the referee, her eyes cast down to the ground. Hanzo frowned.

"Begin!" the referee called.

Hanzo just stood there, watching Quino.

Quino picked her head up and clenched her hands into fists.

"You should just surrender," Hanzo muttered, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Maybe," Quino said, then walked toward Hanzo.

Hanzo allowed her to get closer. "My mom always said to me to do one thing in situations like this."

Like a predator watching its prey, Hanzo stood still.

Quino took out the small smithing hammer that she kept in her shorts' pocket. "But I'm not sure if this situation qualifies."

Hanzo whipped out the blade that he had held at Gon's forehead. The sight made Quino shiver.

"Just give up. Before you actually get hurt," Hanzo said; he wasn't joking around.

"I'll fight until I can't anymore!" Quino yelled. She hoped that somehow Gon would give her the strength to pass this.

Hanzo sighed, then launched at her. Just as he was about to punch her, she did the one thing that she was talking about earlier: she kicked Hanzo where it hurt.

As if the thought that somebody would ever kick him there never crossed his mind, there was no armor covering the area. He grunted, stiffening up like a board. Quino used this moment to swing her hammer onto Hanzo's left foot, another area that was absent of protection. Everyone heard the crunch from the impact on Hanzo's foot.

Quino took a few steps back, bringing up her smithing hammer with one hand.

"You little…" Hanzo said through gritted teeth.

"Surrender, or you'll get even more hurt!" Quino yelled. She knew it was the fear talking, but she didn't know how to calm herself down. She was running on pure adrenaline at this point.

Hanzo threw shurikens at her, and Quino instinctively ducked just as one whizzed by her head.

"Give up or I'll have to hurt you!" Quino warned.

Hanzo got up, though kept losing his balance because of his horrendously injured left foot. Before Quino knew it, Hanzo had her in a chokehold. Quino struggled against his grip but to no avail. That's when she decided to do something that was probably ridiculous and hopefully wouldn't backfire on her.

Quino, feeling really uncertain about doing this but having the means to do so, pinched Hanzo's thigh hard. With a cry, he let Quino go. Quino got up and kicked him where it hurts again. Then she picked up her hammer that she had dropped and swung at his right arm. He moved just in time to save his arm from being broken, but it hit his hand instead.

After doing all of this, Quino retreated, panting heavily. Her eyes were wide with fear, but she still held fast to her smithing hammer. In fact, she gripped it so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"Just give up! You can just win the next fight," Quino yelled, fire in her eyes.

Hanzo got up unsteadily, his left foot and right hand out-of-commission.

"I've made your foot and hand practically useless! Just surrender before I take more from you!" Quino yelled. Her cheeks were puffed out, her head held high in defiance.

Hanzo sighed and assessed the damage to both his foot and hand. Then he raised his hand. "Fine. I surrender."

Quino gaped openly at Hanzo, as if she couldn't believe he surrendered. To Quino, though, she was sure he would keep fighting until he managed to make her surrender. Quino dropped to her butt, not even registering the pain that caused her. All she felt was relief.

Primna rushed over to Quino's side and picked her up. She watched as Quino gave her a small smile before she passed out, her small smithing hammer hitting the floor with a hard and loud thud. Primna noted that the sound it had made when it fell signified that the hammer was deceptively heavier than it looked.

"Miss, if you don't mind we'll carry her over to a waiting room to rest," one of the examiners in black said.

Primna feebly gave Quino's limp body to the man, and he carried her out of the arena. She hoped that Quino and Gon would end up being okay.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So, I'm going to crank out some more chapters after this. Um, yeah, that's about all I have to say.

 **I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

Erm, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Mmm, yep, that's all. Bye bye!


	45. Hunter x Exam x Passed!

Well, that ended a lot faster than I thought it would've, Kuriya thought as she made her way toward the center of the room again.

On the other side, facing against her, was Hisoka. She wasn't sure how she could win this one.

"Begin!" the referee called out.

Hisoka and Kuriya simply stood in their spots, neither of them moving to attack.

"I have a question," Kuriya stated, her voice authoritative and frank.

"Mmm?" was all Hisoka said in response.

"How badly do you want a Hunter License?" Kuriya asked, testing the waters. She needed to see if she could possibly bargain.

"It's not the Hunter License I want," Hisoka said, drawing a card seemingly out of thin air.

She knew the words that he chose to omit.

 _I want you_.

Kuriya had hoped it wouldn't be like this, but it seemed she wasn't lucky this time around.

"Unfortunately, you can't kill me," Kuriya said as she drew out her katana from its sheath.

"That is unfortunate."

 _But that won't stop me_.

Kuriya sighed. I suppose I'll have to do this the hard way.

"Let's set a condition," Kuriya spoke up, garnering Hisoka's attention.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"We settle this in one minute. Whoever knocks the other to the ground first wins. However, if one minute passes by, and neither of us have knocked the other to the ground, then I will automatically lose. Also, no weapons."

Hisoka grinned and said, "What an interesting game. Fine, I'll play along."

Kuriya looked at the referee on standby and asked, "Could you signal the start of this?"

The referee looked toward the chairman, who nodded, and then nodded.

Kuriya sheathed her katana and laid her weapon near the sidelines. She watched as Hisoka withdrew his card.

Hopefully that means he won't cheat. I never said you couldn't, Kuriya thought as she went back to where she was at. Here goes nothing.

"Begin!" the referee called.

Kuriya and Hisoka clashed, hands locked and muscles working on overdrive. They were purely wrestling, both trying to push the other down with mere strength alone. It wasn't long before Kuriya realized they were about evenly matched. Hisoka decided to let go and step back a few spaces. Kuriya was falling, but she balanced herself and charged at him.

They traded blows, both ending up roughing the other up. Kuriya swiped her leg at Hisoka's. Hisoka lost his balance but gripped onto Kuriya's arm strongly, nails digging so harshly that they made her arm bleed. Kuriya then elbowed his face, wrenched his hand free from her arm, then threw her body onto him. His back landed on the ground, Kuriya landed on top of him, and they were both out of breath from the whole ordeal.

Realizing their positions, Kuriya quickly got up and stated, "You lose."

Hisoka chuckled. "You're growing exceptionally."

Kuriya only glared back.

Raising his hand up, Hisoka declared, "I give up."

Even so, the fight was thrilling to watch.

XXX

Malli watched with a hint of amusement as Hisoka went back to the sidelines. She saw his eyes slide to her and he stared at her for a second before looking elsewhere. Despite the speed of which he had casted his gaze around the room, Malli got the message: don't go overboard.

"The fifth match is Hanzo versus Pokkle," the referee called out.

Both Hanzo and Pokkle stepped forward.

"Begin!"

She licked her lips in anticipation.

I can't wait 'til I get to go! Then I'll show Killua that I'm super strong and awesome!

Her train of thought caused her to jump a little in excitement, much to Hisoka's amusement.

Much to her disappointment, however, the fight had ended far earlier than she had wanted. Hanzo managed to get Pokkle into the same position that he got Gon in previously: his knee pushing into Pokkle's back. This time around, though, the opponent surrendered right away.

Man! That was hardly fun at all, Malli whined in her head. I hope the next match isn't a disappointment too. Though Kuri and Dad's fight was pretty cool! Kuri is so awesome!

"The sixth match is Hisoka versus Bodoro."

Bodoro?

Malli watched as her dad and an old man stepped forward. Upon seeing the old man, her hope of having another awesome fight was shot.

I bet this is going to be over super quick, Malli thought as she watched the referee glance between the two.

"Begin!" the referee called out.

The match between Hisoka and Bodoro was uneventful. Uneventful in the sense that Hisoka completely destroyed Bodoro. Malli suspected that would've happened.

But I wonder what Dad whispered in the man's ear, Malli thought as she watched Hisoka walk back to the sidelines. She didn't think much about how Bodoro had suspiciously surrendered immediately after Hisoka whispered into his ear.

The old man was so badly wounded that he couldn't even move out of the way. He was dragged to the sidelines, and the tournament resumed much to Malli's excitement.

"The seventh match is Malli versus Pokkle."

Malli hadn't even realized that she was next until the referee had announced it.

"Yes!" Malli exclaimed as she rushed out of the sidelines.

However, her excitement soon turned into irritation when she realized that she was facing off against probably _the_ weakest person out of the applicants. To say she felt cheated would be an understatement.

"Aw, man! I wanted to have a fight, not a massacre!"

Pokkle frowned, not liking that he was being underestimated by a little girl.

"Begin!" the referee called out.

Pokkle readied his bow and arrows while Malli simply just stood there.

She wasn't feeling it. Malli wasn't feeling excited at all. Even as the arrow fired and sped toward her, Malli simply stepped to the side and the arrow simply passed by her.

"Hmm, I don't feel like fighting him. I'll just fight the next person," Malli said as she walked back to the sidelines, making Pokkle win by default.

"The eighth match is Bodoro versus Leorio," the referee announced.

"Um, I think Bodoro needs to recover some more. Can we do our match later?" Leorio asked, catching the referee's attention.

The referee looked at the chairman, who nodded. "Very well. The eighth match is Malli versus Killua."

Malli's yellow eyes widened. Her heart stopped, and she felt a cold sweat rushing through her body.

I have to fight Killua?

She was frozen in place, her face betraying just how much she didn't like this match.

"Malli, you're next," Kuriya said from right beside her.

"But, Kuri–"

"Go, Malli," Kuriya firmly said to the girl.

With a shaky sigh, Malli walked toward the center and out of the sidelines.

She looked straight at Killua, who looked nonchalant.

"Begin!" the referee called out.

"Um, so–"

Killua charged at her, nails sharp and ready to slice into her.

Malli gasped, dodging Killua's relentless attacks.

I don't want to fight him. But it would make me look weak if I didn't fight him, right?

A full 30 seconds of Killua on the offensive and Malli on the defensive passed by, and Malli had finally had it.

"I-I give up!"

Killua stopped mid-launch, his eyes glaring icily at her.

"I'm sorry. I just don't have it in me to hurt you," Malli said quiet enough for only Killua's ears.

Killua simply shrugged and walked back to the sidelines.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Malli went back to the sidelines as well.

The entire fight lasted about 40 seconds.

"Could we wait for one more fight?" Leorio asked.

The referee looked to Chairman Netero, who shrugged his shoulders. The referee nodded in agreement.

"The ninth match is Malli versus Gittarackur."

Malli walked out of the sidelines again. Though instead of disinterest or dread, she felt excited as she looked at her opponent.

In fact, the amount of excitement she was feeling alarmed her. Who she was about to face was dangerous, so dangerous that she wasn't even sure if she'd make this out in one piece.

But that would disqualify this guy, Malli thought.

Her usual exuberance was replaced by a serious expression, which surprised nearly everyone.

"Begin!" the referee called out.

All Malli knew, was that this fight might not end prettily.

XXX

Malli's suspicion was, unfortunately, spot on.

She was dangling from Gittarackur's, or rather Illumi's, hand as he choked her. Try as she might, she couldn't claw his hand off of her throat. And the icing on the cake was Illumi's constant threats about killing Gon and her right in front of his eyes.

Though why he would lump me in with Gon makes no sense, Malli thought as she glared at Illumi despite the lack of oxygen going into her lungs. Killua doesn't care about me nearly as much as Gon.

She wasn't paying attention to what Illumi was saying, what threats he was brainwashing Killua with, but she knew by the way Killua looked at the scene that he was undergoing trauma.

Malli really wanted to use Nen. She wanted to blast Illumi straight in the face with her Bubble Gum Gun. But she couldn't, because there are non-Nen user witnesses, Killua being one of those.

So, here she was, dangling in the enemy's hand and unable to fix anything. And as much as she wanted Killua to rescue her, she realized that she _really_ didn't like being a damsel in distress.

Just as she was about to faint from the lack of oxygen, she felt herself collide with the floor below her. She coughed, breathing in air greedily. Malli felt beaten, worn, and excited, but she hardly cared about any of that when her eyes landed on Killua's form.

He looked broken, lost, and vacant. Malli wanted to scream and kill Illumi. The fight between Malli and Illumi had ended, with Illumi surrendering. Illumi walked back to the sidelines and Malli rushed over to Killua's side as soon as she could.

XXX

Leorio didn't want to leave Killua's side, but he knew his match was up next.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he's okay," Malli said as she grabbed Killua's hand. It felt too cold for her liking, and it wasn't just the temperature of his hand she was talking about either.

"Go on, Leorio," Kurapika insisted.

"The tenth match is Bodoro versus Leorio," the referee announced.

Malli was so consumed with making Killua respond to her that she didn't notice the fight had already begun.

"Killua?" she asked as he stood up from his sitting position on the floor. His eyes were still dark though, and it felt eerie to her. She noticed his fingernails on his left hand were sharp and ready to attack. Feeling panic overtake her, she grabbed Killua's right hand. "Killua, where are you going?"

His eyes momentarily lightened, but only for half a second. He flicked her hand off of him and raced toward the fight.

Malli opened her mouth to stop him, to tell him to come back, but she had been too late.

Killua had swiftly gotten to Bodoro and slashed him in the chest, killing the old man in the process.

She was shocked, not knowing what to do in that moment.

"Killua," she called, running after him.

Hisoka narrowed his eyes, getting away from the wall he was leaning on to rush over to Malli.

But Killua looked back and simply said, "Don't follow me." Then he left.

Malli entered a catatonic state.

The committee disqualified him soon after.

XXX

Quino was looking down at her desk when the doors to the hallway slammed open. She looked up to find Gon standing there. Quino felt a little better knowing that Gon felt well enough to be up and about.

But why does he look so angry?

He walked down the steps, passing everyone by. Then he stopped at Killua's brother, Illumi.

"Apologize to Killua!" Gon said with such a heated voice that Quino was glad it wasn't directed at her.

Illumi turned his head to look at Gon. "Apologize? For what?"

"You don't know what you did wrong?" Gon asked.

"Nope."

"You don't have the right to be his brother."

Illumi turned his head away from Gon. "Must I earn the right to be his brother?"

Gon shot out his arm and grabbed Illumi's wrist, hulling him above him. Illumi dropped back down.

"He doesn't need to earn the right to be my friend!" Gon clenched Illumi's wrist painfully. "Don't bother apologizing. Just take me to see Killua."

"What will you do then?"

"That should be obvious… I'm gonna rescue Killua!" Gon said.

"You make it sound as though I kidnapped him… He walked away on his own," Illumi said.

"But it wasn't by choice. He was being manipulated by you. It's the same thing as kidnapping him!"

That's when Chairman Netero decided to intervene. "We happened to be discussing this very subject, Gon. Kurapika and Leorio have both lodged complaints. The committee has been discussing the fairness of Killua's disqualification."

Kurapika stood up from his seat. "Killua had been behaving in a strange manner during and since Malli's battle with the man who called himself Gittarackur! I believe that he was hypnotized into committing murder. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to use hypnosis to induce a person to kill. However, as Killua was raised in a family of assassins, murder was a part of his daily life, so it's natural that he would lack the ethical restraint of most!"

"I want to mention that the attack happened during the match between Bodoro and me. It's possible that he was trying to help me. Given that, the one who should be disqualified is me," Leorio said.

"In any case, Killua was not in control of his own actions. Thus, he should not have been disqualified!"

"That is mere speculation," Chairman Netero said.

"Speculation," Malli mimicked softly, her words only heard by Kuriya. Kuriya rubbed Malli's arm, acknowledging that she heard her.

"There is no proof," Netero continued, "There were no clear signs of manipulation. In fact, I would question the claim that he was hypnotized. I agree that the incident occurred after the battle between Leorio and Bodoro had begun. At that point, both fighters were evenly matched. Bodoro had more experience. But in terms of raw combat ability, Leorio was the stronger. There was no need for Killua to interfere."

"There was some other funny business happening," Pokkle mentioned. "Like when you fought Kuriya. Back then, what did she say to you? Neither of you seemed hurt enough to be unable to continue. But Kuriya whispered something in your ear, right before conceding. That's pretty strange. I'd understand surrendering after your opponent whispers something to you, as happened with Hanzo and me, or Bodoro and Hisoka. Because we were under considerable pressure. But in your case, the exact opposite happened. I have to wonder if you struck some sort of bargain. If you're going to question anything that seems odd, your own victory was quite odd, indeed. If you have nothing to hide, you should tell us what he said. Right now."

XXX

Kuriya rolled her eyes at the archer.

It's nothing for him to know. I only told him when and where the Phantom Troupe is meeting. A weakling like you doesn't need to get involved in such matters, Kuriya thought as she glanced at Malli. Kuriya needed to keep a close eye on her, lest she becomes consumed with unbridled bloodlust like Primna during the Fourth Phase.

"I have no obligation to tell you," Kurapika replied.

"Maybe not, but I believe you owe it to us," Pokkle urged.

"Not really. If you consider my victory to be odd, a victory by default would be equally odd," Kurapika responded coolly. Kuriya had to fight the snicker that threatened to release.

"What?!"

"None of that matters…" Malli whispered under her breath.

"Come on… I want to get this lecture over with so I can leave," Hanzo said.

"None of that matters!" Gon yelled.

The room fell silent.

"It's pointless to argue over whether someone should have passed," Gon said.

Kuriya saw out of the corner of her eye Primna smiling like a proud parent.

"If you aren't happy about passing, keep working until you're satisfied. If Killua retakes the Hunter Exam, he'll definitely pass! It's unfortunate that he failed this time, but it is what it is. What does matter… If you've been forcing Killua to kill, against his will, all this time, I'll make you pay!"

"Make me pay?" Illumi said. "What, exactly, will you do?"

"I won't do anything," Gon started, "Only, once I rescue Killua, I'll never let you see him again!"

Kuriya noticed how Malli perked up a little at what the boy said.

Chairman Netero 'coughed.' "Is everyone finished? Gon is absolutely correct. You must decide for yourselves if you were worthy of passing. You may complain about the results all you like, but we will not be changing our minds. Killua had been disqualified. And the rest of you have passed the exam."

Mr Beans and Chairman Netero looked at each other and nodded. Then Mr. Beans stepped forward. "Okay, then I shall continue the orientation," Mr. Beans said.

He held up a Hunter's License. "The cards I've passed out are your Hunter Licenses. This card allows you to enter 90% of the countries that limit immigration, as well as 75% of the restricted areas in the world."

Fascinating, Kuriya thought as she eyed her own.

"This card also provides free access to 95% of public facilities, and a line of credit that rivals large corporations," Mr. Beans explained.

Malli looked at the card with a blank look.

Quino was hooked the moment she heard that she had free access to nearly all public facilities and her line of credit rivaled large corporations.

This little thing really gives me that? Quino thought.

"If you sell the cards, you'll have enough money to last seven lifetimes," Mr. Beans continued, "And if you keep it, you'll still be living in comfort. So take extra care that your license isn't lost or stolen. You won't receive a replacement. According to our estimates, one in five Hunters lose their card within a year of receiving it. As a Hunter, your first challenge is to protect your card. The rest is up to you. Rise above challenges, believe in your own strength, and fulfill your dreams."

"We now declare the twelve members here to be new Hunters!"

* * *

Hey everybody!

This one is a short one, and also the last chapter. Er, I'm sorry for not realizing that the Hunter Exam Arc actually ends _after_ "rescuing" Killua from the Zoldyck mansion. Heheh, oops. So, um, yeah, sorry about that. Well then, I hope you all have enjoyed this fanfic. And I'm sorry to suddenly feel the need to rewrite this fanfic but I feel like I can do better (doesn't every writer feel that way after they've written their work though..?).

So, here's the plan. I'll post _a_ chapter during the week, then another this coming Sunday. BUT I'll make it a schedule to update every Sunday (unless if I have time during the week, which is most likely not the case but who knows?). And I'll do the rewritten fanfic under a new name (title, whatever you want to call it). Since I like the title quite a bit (because you'd have to look up the word "bound" to really appreciate the ingenuity behind why I picked that specific word), the rewritten fic will probably be "Bound Paths Remastered" or something like that. Doing the rewritten work under a new story seems easier and cleaner than going back and fixing everything.

And just in case you didn't know, **I don't own Hunter x Hunter. The beautiful work belongs to Togashi Yoshihiro.**

I hope you have enjoyed this fic and I swear that I will make the rework just as great (if not better!). With that said, I'll see you all in the rewritten work! Thank you all who have favorited, followed, and... reviewed (was going to type subscribed...)! Bye bye!


End file.
